Patnaik inaugurates country’s largest hockey stadium in Rourkela
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the country’s largest hockey stadium Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium here on Thursday. Standing in the middle of a packed stadium, Patnaik declared the stadium open ahead of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 starting on January 13. Rourkela is the second venue of the World Cup after the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. Patnaik said that the stadium is Odisha’s gift to the entire country. Rourkela will host 20 of the 44 World Cup matches while the remaining 24 matches, including the final, will be played at the Kalinga Stadium.
India’s first match against Spain is to be played on January 13 at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium here. Two days later, India will face England at the same ground. The stadium, named after eminent tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda, has been built at a cost of Rs 146 crore. The total capacity of the stadium is 21 thousand spectators and it is the largest hockey stadium in the country. The stadium is spread over 15 acres of land in the campus of Biju Patnaik University of Technology (BPUT). The stadium was constructed by the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Odisha (IDCO).
The foundation stone of the stadium was laid by the Chief Minister of Odisha in February 2021. The state will host the Men’s Hockey World Cup for the second time in a row. The first such event was organized in 2018. This will be the fourth time that India will be hosting this prestigious tournament. The stadium is considered to be the largest in the world. Even FIH chief Mohammad Tayyab Ikram during his visit here mentioned that ‘this is one of the biggest stadium in the world’.
Apart from the main turf, it houses the main stadium, fitness centre, hydrotherapy pool, dressing and changing rooms, connecting tunnels and five-star accommodation, 250 rooms that can accommodate 400 players. There are six gates for the entry and exit of visitors to the stadium. Apart from this, there is parking for two and four wheelers. Patnaik also unveiled a book titled ‘Odisha Re Hockey’ (Hockey in Odisha) which has been published by the Department of School and Mass Education. The book deals with the history of hockey in Sundargarh and the role of Odisha in promoting the national game of India. Patnaik also inaugurated ‘Mo Bus’ (my bus) services with 30 vehicles in Rourkela for hassle free movement especially during Hockey World Cup matches.
