At the start of Monday’s trophy tour, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik handed over the trophy for the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup to Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.
Patnaik expressed his excitement for the trophy tour, saying it will be a memorable world cup for both the teams and the fans.
”I hope the Hockey Men’s World Cup Trophy Tour will build excitement for the world cup across India. We will be hosting 16 teams and the matches will be played in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela,” he said.
Odisha’s Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera, Secretary General of Hockey India Bholanath Singh, State Sports Secretary R. Vineel Krishna, Executive Director of Hockey India Srivastava and officials and hockey players were present at the programme.
The tournament will start on January 13 and will continue till January 29.
The trophy will visit 13 states and one union territory over the next 21 days, including West Bengal, Assam, Delhi, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu, before returning to Odisha on December 25.
When the trophy returns to Odisha, it will tour all of the districts of the state.
According to officials, the trophy will also be taken to 17 blocks in Sundergarh district, known as the “cradle of hockey.”
The trophy will be returned to Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for the finals on January 29.
