Odisha to host FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup-2021, announces CM

Bhubaneswar: The Kalinga Stadium here will host the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup-2021. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made the official announcement today evening during a programme at Lok Seva Bhawan.

The Chief Minister said that the State is ready to host such a big event for the sake of country’s prestige. He said, “Recently, Hockey India has approached us to support them for the Men’s Junior World Cup which is to be held in two months’ time. It’s a short notice for making the arrangements for such an event, especially during the pandemic period. Since the nation’s prestige is at stake, we have readily agreed to support.”

The FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup-2021 will be held from November 24 – December 5, 2021, he added.

This international event will feature 16 countries – India, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, Egypt, Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, USA, Canada, Chile and Argentina.

He further said that Hockey has a special place among sports in Odisha. Hockey Players from our state led the country in many international tournaments.

Describing Odisha’s engagement with Hockey India, he said that over the last decade, we have been working closely with Hockey India for the development of Hockey in the country. We have sponsored the National teams since 2018. We have been the host for major tournaments including the Hockey World Cup. All these efforts have led to the historic success of the Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams at the recent Tokyo Olympics.

He further said there is lot of excitement about the prospects of Indian hockey in coming years. The Hockey World Cup in January 2023 will be landmark event and provide further momentum for hockey development in the country.

Promising Odisha will enduring support to Indian Hockey, he said that we will continue to be a part of this journey of Indian hockey. We have already announced that we will support the Indian national teams for another 10 years. We are also building India’s largest hockey stadium in Rourkela. We are creating astro-turf based grassroots training program in the state, he added.

Patnaik also unveiled the logo and trophy of the Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup.

FIH President Narinder Batra said that Odisha has set a new benchmark for Hockey and showcased Odisha’s capability in organising global sports events. He added that the iconic Kalinga Stadium is now the World’s best stadium.

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