ROURKELA: A top team of hockey officials visited the stadium under construction in Odishait is Rourkela Wednesday to take stock of the situation ahead of next year’s men’s world cup.
The team, made up of members of the International Hockey Federation or the FIH and Hockey Indiaexpressed satisfaction with the ongoing works at the Birsa Munda international hockey stadium.
They also inaugurated a training center there and provided an update on ongoing activities at Rourkela Airport, which will serve as a transit hub for players, staff and others.
FIH Acting President seif ahmedcongratulated Odisha and Hockey India for the job they had done.
“What we saw today is fantastic, unbelievable,” Ahmed told a press briefing, hoping for a very good World Cup in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar.
FIH Director General Thierry Weill said it would be the biggest hockey stadium in India and, most likely, the world.
The stadium in Sundargarh district in western Odisha can accommodate 20,000 spectators. The 35-acre site includes the stadium and accommodation inside the 120-acre campus of Biju Patnaik University of Technology.
SY Quraishi, a board member of trustees who currently leads the sport in the country, said he was “extremely pleased” with the progress made in the project.
The former chief election commissioner acknowledged that everything that happens in Odisha “is in good hands”, adding that everything is on track.
The visit came a day before the scheduled draw for the Men’s Hockey World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13-29. The state is hosting the quadrennial event for the second consecutive time after hosting it in Bhubaneswar in 2018.
The team, made up of members of the International Hockey Federation or the FIH and Hockey Indiaexpressed satisfaction with the ongoing works at the Birsa Munda international hockey stadium.
They also inaugurated a training center there and provided an update on ongoing activities at Rourkela Airport, which will serve as a transit hub for players, staff and others.
FIH Acting President seif ahmedcongratulated Odisha and Hockey India for the job they had done.
“What we saw today is fantastic, unbelievable,” Ahmed told a press briefing, hoping for a very good World Cup in Rourkela and Bhubaneswar.
FIH Director General Thierry Weill said it would be the biggest hockey stadium in India and, most likely, the world.
The stadium in Sundargarh district in western Odisha can accommodate 20,000 spectators. The 35-acre site includes the stadium and accommodation inside the 120-acre campus of Biju Patnaik University of Technology.
SY Quraishi, a board member of trustees who currently leads the sport in the country, said he was “extremely pleased” with the progress made in the project.
The former chief election commissioner acknowledged that everything that happens in Odisha “is in good hands”, adding that everything is on track.
The visit came a day before the scheduled draw for the Men’s Hockey World Cup, which will be jointly hosted by Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13-29. The state is hosting the quadrennial event for the second consecutive time after hosting it in Bhubaneswar in 2018.