Bhubaneswar: While Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday inaugurated one of the largest hockey stadiums in India in Rourkela ahead of the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023, controversy immediately surged in political forefront regarding the same.
Odisha Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera has now cleared the air and said that, ” We are not saying that Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela is world’s biggest. However, it has been certified by FIH that the stadium is biggest in terms of seating capacity.”
Built at an estimated cost of ₹261 crore, the stadium, located in Sundargarh district, has been christened as Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Complex. It has been built in 50 acres in a record 15 months-time with a seating capacity of 20,000. The stadium also has practice centres adjacent to it with certified turfs and lighting. The State has also built a World Cup village, which has 225 rooms to house the players and officials, within nine months.
Rourkela will host 20 of the 44 hockey World Cup matches while the remaining 24 matches, including the final, will be hosted in Bhubaneswar.
The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium has a seating capacity of over 20,000 spectators and is one of the largest hockey stadiums in India.
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