Despite being one of the less developed districts in the state of Odisha, Sundargarh has a strong infrastructure and culture for hockey.
Many families in this predominantly tribal region of the state may not have adequate shelter, but their children can practise their hockey talents in cutting-edge facilities. When people are struggling to make ends meet, some may wonder why there is a need to invest millions of rupees on sporting infrastructure, but the local population isn’t objecting.
The success narrative underlying India’s hockey performance after a hiatus of more than 40 years. But before we go any further, you’ve probably all observed that both male and female hockey players’ jerseys prominently display the state of Odisha. What connection does Indian hockey have to Odisha then?
P. C – livemint.com
Why does that matter?
In the past five years, the state has played host to important hockey competitions. In addition to the Champions Trophy in 2014 and the Hockey World League Final in 2017, it also hosted the World Cup in 2018. The Men’s Hockey World Cup, which is also currently taking take place in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in 2023, is being held for the second time in Odisha.
The Odisha government has committed to fund Hockey India for atleast five years. Hence, the men’s and women’s hockey teams of India is now being sponsored for five years by the government of Odisha. This was announced at a formal event by Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
The Birsa Munda Stadium
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s December 2020 Christmas present was a huge one. On Christmas Eve, he surprised everyone by announcing that Odisha would be constructing a brand-new hockey arena in Rourkela that will host a World Cup. The icing on the cake came later when he revealed an ambitious plan to construct 17 artificial fields in various Rourkela hamlets. The 17 pitches cost the exchequer Rs 200 crore, while the stadium, which is near a 225-room, five-star hotel complex, was constructed for approximately Rs 486 crore.
Conclusion
Odisha has made contributions both locally and nationally in addition to making significant local investments in hockey. Given how unpredictable the men’s team’s performances have been, even corporations are hesitant to renew their arrangement as the main sponsor of the national squad until 2033. Additionally, since beginning with the 2014 Champions Trophy, they have hosted nine FIH tournaments, including two consecutive World Cups. No other Indian state can take pride in such an accomplishment.