BHUBANESWAR: Carrying forward his government’s promise to develop Odisha as a global sports destination, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday announced a world class hockey stadium at Rourkela, which is set to host the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men’s Hockey World Cup India 2023 along with the State capital Bhubaneswar.
The stadium with a capacity of seating 20,000 spectators is billed to be the biggest hockey stadium in India. Announcing this in a video message, Naveen said, “As a tribute to the contribution of Sundargarh to Indian hockey, I would like to announce that we will build a new international level hockey stadium in Rourkela with a seating capacity of 20,000. The new stadium is going to redefine the sports landscape in the region.”
He stated that the stadium along with the allied facilities will be developed as a benchmark for other hockey stadiums around the world. Spread over 15 acres of land, the stadium will be constructed in the Biju Patnaik University of Technology campus in Rourkela. Besides, the work to develop synthetic hockey turf in each of the 17 blocks of Sundargarh district has already commenced.
Describing Sundargarh district as the powerhouse of hockey talent, the Chief Minister said many great players from there have represented the country at the international level. The India team led by players like Dilip Tirkey and Sunita Lakra has brought laurels for the country, he added.
Popularity of hockey among the people can be seen across the district, he said, adding, the support of people of the district to hockey players is unparalleled anywhere in the world. The stadium will have all the modern amenities and offer a unique experience. It will emerge as the best venue for field hockey in the world, he reiterated.
A high level team including senior officials from the State government, FIH, department of Sports and Youth Services and Hockey India had visited Rourkela recently and reviewed the infrastructure and allied facilities in the city to host the much awaited hockey event.