Rourkela in Odisha’s Sundargarh district, considered as the hotbed of hockey, is gearing up to host the Hockey Men’s World Cup in 2023. Rourkela’s Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium (BPHS) is the co-host along with Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
On Friday, a delegation of officials from the FIH visited the city to take stock of the preparations. FIH President Narinder Batra, who has openly declared his faith in Odisha for conducting international hockey events, visited the stadium along with Hockey India President Gyanendro Ningombam and other technical officials.
This will be the first time that a country will be hosting two consecutive World Cups. The 2018 edition of the Hockey Men’s World Cup was held at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. In 2023, both Rourkela and Bhubaneswar will be hosting the teams.
Expressing satisfaction over the work so far, Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra said, “The FIH World Cup, either for Men or for Women, is the flagship event of hockey’s world governing body. Therefore, it is essential that all operational matters are conducted in a state-of-the-art way, so that athletes and fans can enjoy a thrilling time! I’m really pleased with the commitment of the public authorities of Rourkela, which I’d like to thank wholeheartedly, and I’m convinced it will be a great venue for the FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup India 2023.”
Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Odisha Chief Secretary Asit Tripathy, Sports Secretary Vishal Dev and other senior officials were also present.
“The 2023 World Cup is expected to be even bigger and better than 2018. The Odisha Government left no stone unturned to make 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup a truly international experience and in 2023 too it will excel in its execution and all stakeholders are collectively working towards it. The state has been in the forefront of sports promotion, and the development work in Rourkela and Sundergarh, will redefine the sports landscape in this region,” said Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera.
Besides the Hockey Stadium, the district administration is also undertaking several beautification drives, ahead of the World Cup 2023.