Odisha to rope in internationally-renowned celebs for Hockey WC campaign

Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has decided to hire some internationally-renowned celebrities in order to create massive buzz around the Men’s Hockey World Cup, which is scheduled to be held at Kalinga Stadium here between November 28 and December 16 this year.

According to official sources, the State government has planned a mega publicity campaign starting from August 29 to showcase the State as the sports capital of India.

The publicity campaigns will be held at 17 major cities across India to garner enough support for the mega sporting event.

“The campaign will be organised mainly in metropolitan cities like Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, New Delhi, Mumbai and some state capitals where hockey is popular. We are planning to hold the campaign in 17 Indian cities,” said Sports Secretary Vishal Dev.

Some internationally-renowned celebrities are likely to be engaged in the build up campaign for which the detailed programme will be finalized later, Dev added.

The State government is also planning to facilitate live telecast of the match for those who cannot make it to the stadium. “We have decided to put up four large LED screens at Baramunda ground, Exhibition ground, Janata Maidan and Adivasi ground for people who can’t afford to watch the match in stadium,” Dev added.

A grand opening ceremony is being planned to be held on November 27 to showcase the State’s culture and heritage to the whole world, sources revealed.

In July, the State government had displayed advertisements on city buses of London to promote Hockey Men’s World Cup. The campaign titled ‘Odisha by Morning, Hockey by Evening’ features branded buses showcasing the State as an exciting tourist and sporting destination.

Total 16 teams are participating in the event that will witness 36 matches. Each of the participating teams will play three matches during the league stage over a span of 12 days before four cross-over matches that will decide the fate of the teams to book their place in the top eight stage.

Participating in a security related meeting for the mega event, Twin City Police Commissioner Satyajit Mohanty said that his personnel are ready to ensure smooth conduct of the mega event.

“As many as 70-80 platoons of police will be deployed during the event and each team will have a personal security officer. The security arrangements will be made as per protocol,” the city’s top cop said.

More than 30, 000 foreign tourists including players are expected to visit Bhubaneswar during World Cup, an official said.