Jan 6, 2023: The Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium at Rourkela on Thursday. This will be one of the main venues in the state for the upcoming FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup.
According to the Odisha Government, this is one of the biggest hockey stadiums in the world, with a total cost of Rs 261 Cr.
This stadium has been named after legendary and renowned tribal leader Birsa Munda, was built in a record-breaking fifteen months.
This will be the second time that Odisha is hosting the Hockey World Cup. The upcoming Hockey World Cup will be held at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela and the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. It will begin on January 13 and conclude on January 29.
During the inauguration of the new stadium, the chief minister announced additional prize money of Rs 1 crore for each team member if India wins the Hockey World Cup. He added that it will be the biggest gift from Odisha to the county, especially to the game of hockey.
The State has also built a World Cup Village within the stadium complex to house all the players and officials.This complex, which was built in nine months, has 225 rooms with all the necessary amenities and facilities. He invited everyone to visit and watch the matches live in the stadium, calling it an important chapter in the history of hockey in India.
Naveen Patnaik also interacted with the members of the Indian team and wished them luck for the tournament.
NB: Other image was taken from Business Standard.
