Bhubaneswar
Tribals continue to be at the centrestage of the Governments at the Centre and the States.
In a State where Scheduled Tribes constitute almost 23 percent of the population, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, perhaps, the biggest patron of hockey in the country, on Thursday, inaugurated the 15-acre 20,000-capacity Birsa Munda International Stadium in Rourkela, the main city in Sundergarh district, known as a hockey hub. Incidentally, the current president of Hockey India Dilip Tirkey also hails from the district.
This is the second consecutive Hockey World Cup that Odisha is hosting with the last being in 2018, when the matches were played at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. This time round though, the global sporting extravaganza will be held at two venues — Bhubaneswar and Rourkela — from January 13 to January 29. The Odisha Government has also been sponsoring the Indian hockey team for the last few years.
The naming of the Stadium after the tribal icon is also being seen as Patnaik’s attempts at blunting any edge that the BJP might have given its continued focus on the Scheduled Tribes in the last one year, something that has helped it sweep the tribal belt in Gujarat.
Inaugurating the Rs 146-crore Stadium, Patnaik said it is a gift of Odisha to the entire nation. Rourkela will host 20 of the 44 matches while the remaining 24 matches, including the final, will be played at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Earlier, Patnaik interacted with the National Men’s Hockey Team at the World Cup Village and announced an award of Rs 1 Crore for each player if Team India lifts the World Cup. He also inaugurated the World Cup Village at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Complex
“Birsa Munda Stadium, world’s biggest hockey stadium is now a reality in just 15 months. Congratulate everyone who worked tirelessly to turn the grand vision, a reality. I am sure, it will emerge as the best venue for field hockey in the world,” Chief Minister Patnaik tweeted earlier. It is, however, one of the biggest stadiums in the world.
“As hockey comes home to Odisha we celebrate the spirit of hockey across the nation. With every heart in the nation beating as one for hockey, let’s us all join to cheer for team India. Let the passion for the game spread to billion hearts.
“World’s biggest stadium for hockey will be a fitting honour to his illustrious legacy and a tribute to Sundergarh’s contribution to Indian hockey,” the Chief Minister said in his tweets in the build-up to the inauguration.
With the new Birsa Munda International Stadium, Odisha can now boast of two of the biggest hockey stadiums in the world. Besides the new stadium, the Odisha Government has also constructed world class facilities to accommodate around 250 players, support staff, and visitors from different countries. The World Cup Village, which also was inaugurated by the CM, has been developed within a record nine months and flaunts 225 rooms with all amenities befitting the stature of the Hockey World Cup.
In all, 16 teams will participate in the World Cup with as many as 20 matches to be played at the new stadium in Rourkela. Patnaik has invited his counterparts from all the States to watch the matches of the quadrennial event and dispatched his Ministers to personally deliver the invitation letters to them.
“The field is ready, the lights are on, and the players are as excited as we are! Get ready to cheer for Team India as they take the field at the FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023!,” Hockey India tweeted.
India’s first match against Spain is scheduled to be played at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium here on January 13. Two days later, India will be up against England at the same venue.
While the international airport in Ranchi is also named after the tribal freedom fighter, the capital of Jharkhand also has a Birsa Munda Football Stadium and a Birsa Munda Athletics Stadium.
