Bhubaneswar, Sept. 4: The state government has set October 2018 as the deadline to complete all work related to the Men's Hockey World Cup that is scheduled take place in November 2018 at Kalinga Sports Complex here.

This was decided at a preparatory meeting at the secretariat today.

Having successfully hosted the 22nd Asian Athletics Championship in July, the government is leaving no stone unturned for the world cup and plans to increase the seating capacity at the from 9,000 to 20,000 for the 16-team tournament.

'We will develop the existing practice turf into a full-fledged stadium and construct two stands at northern and southern side of the existing main stadium. Elaborate arrangements will be put in place for the three-week event,' said chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.

The stadium hosted the Champions Trophy in 2014 and was the home ground of the Kalinga Lancers in the Hockey India League between 2014 and 2017. The stadium will also host the Men's Hockey World League Final this December.

The government is expecting between 20,000 and 25,000 foreign tourists to come to the city for the world cup. Padhi has also directed the sports and tourism departments to chalk out a detailed plan to accommodate the foreign nationals at hotels in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Puri. The government will also make arrangements to accommodate visitors at guesthouses of government and private universities in the three cities.

'Online bookings will be done in advance to accommodate the foreign tourists and all information will be updated on the website,' said a sports department official.

'The roads in the sports complex will be widened and a food court and recreation hall set up. All works will be completed by October next year,' said sports secretary Vishal Dev.

The pink-blue synthetic turf stadium, built at an estimated cost of Rs 19.94 crore, was inaugurated in July 2013. The stadium facilities include an automatic sprinkler system to water the turf, players' lounge, medical room, dope test room and floodlights.