Odisha govt to organise festivals in host cities during Hockey WC

The Odisha government has planned to organise city festivals in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, the host cities for the 2023 FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.

This was decided during a meeting of the organising committee for the FIH World Cup here on Friday.

Chaired by Chief Secretary S.C. Mahapatra and Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, the meeting brought together heads of all the departments to review the progress of various activities related to the smooth and successful conduct of the event.

Apart from city festivals, district-level festivals are also being planned in major towns across the state to celebrate the mega sporting event.

It was revealed during the meeting that commercial flight operation to Rourkela is expected to commence from next month. Provisions are being made for charter flights between the two venues for the participating teams, an official said.

Special buses would also ply during the World Cup to make the transportation easy for the players, officials and spectators, he said.

At the meeting, Mahapatra directed the different departments to complete the projects aligned with the marquee event well before the scheduled time. Thrust was laid on connectivity and hospitality, and showcasing Odisha as the land of heritage and culture besides being a hub of hockey.

It was decided at the meeting to organise sports carnivals and events at the district-level in association with schools. Mahapatra also laid focus on adoption of green practices at the two venues.

The FIH Men's Hockey World Cup will be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29, 2023.