Bhubaneswar, April 3: Kalinga Stadium could be hosting the International Hockey Federation-organised Hockey World League final in December 2017. The state sports department and Hockey India are discussing possibilities for hosting the event.
With major hockey events being hosted in the city in the past four years, Bhubaneswar is fast emerging as a major centre for hockey in the country.
Several matches of the annual Hockey India League (HIL) took place at Kalinga Stadium, which opened in 2013.
This year, the fourth edition of the event was hosted and the inaugural match, apart from many league matches that were played here. For the past three years, the inaugural ceremony of Hockey India League is being held here. The turnout is anywhere between 15,000 and 20,000 and the cheers from the spectators make it one of the most exciting hockey venues in the country.
The HIL has top international players as members of various franchise teams and the facilities including the turf for the match and a practice turf have been constructed in the last couple of years to ensure that the stadium could provide international-standard facilities.
The dressing room and press gallery had been upgraded to suit the needs of international events after a team from the International Hockey Federation had visited in July 2014 to review the infrastructure for the Champions Trophy, which was successfully hosted in the city. Australia, Netherlands, Pakistan, Belgium, Germany, Argentina, England and India took part in the tournament that was the first international hockey event to be held in Bhubaneswar.
A team from Hockey India recently visited the stadium and met sports department officials to discuss the formalities for Bhubaneswar to host the world league final in December 2017.
"Discussions are on. The Hockey India officials met the sports secretary and the state government will also follow up on this now. We are gearing up to host the major international event next year," said A.K. Jena, director-cum additional secretary of the sports department.
The times are exciting for the hockey fraternity in the city.
"We have played across the world and I must say that facilities at Kalinga Stadium are at par with global standards. Also, the support of the crowd is something players from outside the state and even outside the country enjoy. The growth of Bhubaneswar as a major venue is also helping upcoming players of Odisha as they get to see international players and matches. This helps immensely in terms of exposure to international-level hockey," said Olympian hockey player Birendra Lakra.
