Bhubaneswar, Dec. 6: A large number of youngsters came to Kalinga Stadium today to witness nail-biting matches of the first international hockey event hosted by the state, Champions Trophy.

The excitement was palpable right from the beginning as Australia and England battled it out in the inaugural match. The frenzy was evident from the many painted faces visible all around the stadium. Hundreds of schoolchildren were given free passes for the first two matches.

Though the two matches in the day hours received lukewarm response, the actions in the evening saw a large number of hockey lovers thronging to the stadium. The India-Germany match was a full house with the crowd cheering the home team.

Though tickets of three India matches were sold out a couple of days ago, hundreds of hockey fans were seen standing in a queue in front of the stadium to get tickets for other matches.

'I was disappointed because I failed to get a ticket for the India matches. However I managed to get a ticket for the day matches on Sunday,' said Anurag Biswal, a city resident.

A number of foreigners were also spotted in the stands. Most of them said the atmosphere at Kalinga was much better than several other stadiums in the country.

'I have seen matches of Hockey India League in Delhi and other venues. But the ambience here is electrifying and the turnout is much more than other parts of the country,' said 40-year-old Andrea from Germany, who has been running a hockey camp for poor children in Rajasthan for the past three years.

Rajya Sabha MP and former Indian hockey captain Dilip Tirkey also turned up at the venue and said that the event would certainly help promote hockey in the state.

'This is a proud moment for the state and we are hopeful that the state will make its presence felt in international hockey,' said Tirkey.

The top eight teams of the world are taking part in the event, which will end on December 14.

Host India will play its next two matches against Argentina and Netherlands on December 7 and December 9, respectively. Both the matches will start at 7.30pm.

The hockey fever will continue in the city even after the Champions Trophy is over because the stadium will host the inaugural match of the third edition of Hockey India League (HIL). Home team Kalinga Lancers will take on with Ranchi Rays on January 22.

STICK AROUND, THE FUN HAS JUST BEGUN

England fans

England fans were seen waving their national flags as the team took on arch-rival Australia. The fans included parents of England player Dan Fox, who cheered their son and the team. A number of Indian fans were also spotted cheering for England and the team did not disappoint them. England managed to win the match against Australia, which is among the favourites.

Cheerleaders

Schoolchildren gave a bright and colourful start to Champions Trophy. Not only did they cheer for the players, but also clapped and waved their hands to the music. The enthusiasm of the children inspired spectators of the other stands and they soon followed suit. Cheering by the schoolchildren also livened up the match between Belgium and Pakistan.

Last-minute rush

With the inaugural match starting at 12noon, spectators started reaching the stadium half an hour before creating traffic congestion in front of the stadium. At the same time, a number of hockey fans also parked their cars in front of the 
ticket counter to buy tickets, which caused further congestion.