Hockey World Cup in Odisha: As Birsa Munda Stadium will get inaugurated right now, learn how the state has opened its coronary heart to hockey

Hockey has a house in Odisha, within the Sundergarh district. In latest years, with energetic encouragement and funding by the state authorities underneath CM Naveen Patnaik, the gamers have discovered a house in Odisha too. Many of you could remember that when the Indian nationwide hockey groups, each Men’s and Women’s, have been struggling to discover a sponsor round 2018, CM Naveen Patnaik had come ahead, and opened Odisha’s purse, and coronary heart for hockey.

Since 2018, the Odisha authorities has taken a lot of steps to advertise hockey and its gamers. The outcomes have been for everybody to see when each the Men’s and Women’s groups made it to the Semifinals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, after virtually 4 a long time. The Men’s workforce gained the Bronze medal, ending an extended hiatus because the Goldens days of Indian hockey.

The state is once more going to host the Men’s Hockey World Cup this month from 13 to 29 January. The capital metropolis of Bhubaneswar and metal metropolis Rourkela have been decked as much as host the occasion. To mark the state’s place on this planet hockey map, the Odisha authorities has constructed the world’s largest hockey stadium in Rourkela, named after legendary freedom fighter Bhagwan Birsa Munda.

The area is prepared, the lights are on, and the gamers are as excited as we’re! Get able to cheer for Team India as they take the sector on the FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023! pic.twitter.com/bmMzfX2cIt

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) January 5, 2023

Hockey India right now shared a proud video, of Indian gamers standing contained in the grand stadium, declaring their intent for the FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup, “to bring it home”.

Hockey World Cup 2023 music, composed by the legendary composer @ipritamofficial, displays the vivacious spirit of hockey. Let’s be part of to rejoice the spirit of hockey as #HockeyComesHome. The full music video of the music is right here. #HWC2023 pic.twitter.com/o3ZdYVg6Il

— CMO Odisha (@CMO_Odisha) January 4, 2023

The FIH Odisha Hockey World Cup’s mascot is ‘Olly’, the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtle that travels hundreds of miles throughout the oceans yearly to make the coast of Odisha their nesting grounds.

Our mascot Olly was a terrific hit among the many individuals, together with the coveted #HWC2023 trophy after we reached Khordha.

The prestigious trophy was welcomed by an enthusiastic NCC troop & bike riders. #HockeyWorldCup2023 #OdishaForHockey #HockeyComesHome pic.twitter.com/trs5ItCvx7

— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) December 28, 2022
Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela

The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium has been constructed over 15 acres of land on the campus of the Biju Patnaik University of Technology in Rourkela. The facility has a seating capability of 20,000. It homes a swimming pool, a state-of-the-art health centre and a tunnel connecting the dressing rooms to the playground.

20 of the 44 Hockey World Cup matches can be held at this stadium. The remaining ones, together with the ultimate, can be held at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium, which was the venue of all Hockey World Cup matches in 2018. Belgium was the winner in 2018.

To check the newly laid turf forward of the grand occasion, a 3-match collection was organised on the stadium, between Korean junior and Indian junior groups not too long ago.

Sundergarh district and hockey

The tribal-dominated Sundergarh district in Odisha has been dwelling a respiratory hockey for many years. Located in an space that was as soon as the heartland of the Maoist Red-corridor, Sundergarh has turn out to be the ‘Cradle of Indian Hockey’. The resource-rich area has produced 5 nationwide captains of the Indian hockey workforce and over 60 worldwide gamers.

Some imagine that the pure soil and rock within the limestone belt of Chotanagpur plateau, with its abundance in calcium share, strengthens the bones of the individuals on this space and makes them energetic, making them excellent for taking part in hockey.

The sport is now a cultural identification for varied tribes similar to Orams, the Kharia, the Munda and the Bhuniya communities. Even aged individuals in these tribal villages will be seen enjoying hockey. The recreation launched by Christian missionaries centuries in the past has now seeped into their tradition.

Three gamers from Sundergarh – one ladies hockey participant (Deep Grace Ekka) and two males gamers (Amit Rohidas and Birendra Lakra) made it to the Tokyo Olympics 2021.

The Odisha authorities has been organising a collection of promotional occasions to encourage the general public to observe and take part within the sport. The trophy of the World Cup arrived in Odisha on December 27, after touring 16 states. Since then it has been on a tour throughout faculties and schools, getting a rousing welcome from individuals of the state all over the place.