Odisha Chief Secretary S C Mohapatra on Monday said that India’s biggest hockey stadium and an airport in the steel city of Rourkela have been completed to host the upcoming Men’s Hockey World Cup. The airport will be operationalised in a few days.
Mohapatra said this while inspecting the newly built facilities. With a few formalities remaining to be completed, after which regular flight services between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela will begin, he said. The State Chief Secretary said Alliance Air will run four daily flights between Bhubaneswar and Rourkela during the World Cup. The state government will also fly chartered flights between the two cities to transport hockey players, he added.
The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium — the largest hockey stadium in India with a seating capacity of 20,000 — has also been completed. The FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 will be held from January 13 to 29 at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. Practice matches will start on December 24. Three practice matches, the first between India and Spain, will be played at the stadium from December 24. Based on players’ feedback, necessary changes will be made, said Mohapatra.
