Bhubaneswar: Hockey mania has reached fever pitch with seven teams already arriving in the state capital for the Men's Hockey World League Final as they look to acclimatise with the city.

Visitors are also thronging Kalinga Stadium for a glimpse of their favourite stars.

Buoyed by the success of the Asian Athletics Championships, sports minister Chandra Sarathi Behera on Tuesday said the government was taking all measures to ensure a successful tournament.

Responding to a question from BJD MLA Priyadarshi Mishra, Behera told the Assembly: "We are confident of organising the mega hockey event. The state machinery has been fully equipped to make it a success."

He said the government had taken steps to improve the second hockey turf on the stadium premises.

Keeping the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup in mind, Behera said the city's infrastructure would be upgraded.

Sports secretary Vishal Dev said: "The citizens have overwhelmingly supported the event. There is a craze for sports here. Keeping that in mind, the government has decided to upgrade the city infrastructure. We will build roads, footpaths, cycling paths and also taken up beautification. Transportation facilities will also be upgraded - the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation will deploy 200 buses and create special routes to connect hotels and tourist attractions to the stadium."