BHUBANESWAR: Chief ministers of all states will be invited to the Hockey World Cup to be held in Odisha from January 13 next year as the government aims to showcase the state as a sports hub of the country.This was announced by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik after an all-party meeting held at the Lok Seva Bhavan here on the preparations for the global showpiece event in hockey.
The chief minister sought the cooperation of political parties to make the event a grand success and also thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Centre for the unstinted support in preparation for the World Cup. The CM requested all to work unitedly for its success as organising the quadrennial event is a matter of pride for the entire country, not only Odisha.
Taking part in the discussion, leaders of all political parties praised the chief minister and the state government for organising the hockey World Cup for the second time in Odisha. This has improved the standing of Odisha in the entire world, they said.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that organising the World Cup in the state for the second time is a great achievement and will boost tourism prospects for Odisha.Stating that Odisha has a great tradition of hockey and created players starting from Michael Kindo to Amit Rohidas, Pradhan said that it will further boost tourism of the state and enrich its culture.
He said that India is president of G20 group of nations this year and the World Cup during its meeting will complement it.Three working committee meetings of G20 will be held in Odisha during April and May, he said adding that the state will be under international spotlight for the next five to six months.
He also called for further promotion of sports in the state so that at least 100 Olympians will be created by 2036, the centenary year of formation of Odisha. He said that history of hockey in Odisha and holding of the World Cup will find place in NCERT text books.
Pradhan also proposed branding of the Bhubaneswar-Rourkela railway line for hockey. Stating that the country is observing year of millets this year, he said millets should be given primacy in the diet of the players at the World Cup.
Praising the efforts of the state government to promote hockey and organising the World Cup for the second time, leader of the Congress Legislature Party Narasingh Mishra proposed hockey stadiums should be constructed at all district headquarter towns. The 15th edition of the men’s hockey World Cup will be held from January 13 to 29. Odisha also hosted the last edition in 2018. However, this time, the tournament will be hosted by two cities, with Rourkela joining Bhubaneswar as the second venue.