Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Thursday announced that a new world-class hockey stadium, which would be the largest stadium for the sport in the country, will be built in Rourkela.
The stadium, with a sitting capacity of 20,000, will serve as the second venue for the Men’s Hockey World Cup scheduled to be played in 2023. Another venue is Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Spread over 15 acres of land, the stadium will be constructed in the Biju Patnaik University of Technology campus, Rourkela.
“As we have announced earlier, Odisha will once again be the proud host of the prestigious Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2023. The tournament will be organised both in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela,” said Patnaik in a video message.
He further said Sundargarh district is a powerhouse of hockey talent and many great hockey players from the district have represented the country at the international level.
“The Indian team led by players like Dilip Tirkey and Sunita Lakra have brought laurels for the country. The popularity of hockey can be seen across the district. The support of people of the district to hockey players is unparalleled anywhere in the world,” said Patnaik.
“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,” he added.
The stadium will have all the modern amenities and is touted to offer a unique experience.
“I hope it will emerge as the best venue for field hockey in the world,” Patnaik said.
Recently, a high-level team, including senior officials from the state government, International Federation of Hockey (FIH), Department of Sports and Youth Services and Hockey India, had visited Rourkela. They reviewed the infrastructure and allied facilities in the city to host the World Cup in 2023.
PNN/Agencies
