Hockey World Cup, 2023
Odisha pulled out the red carpet for the second time for the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023. Unlike the previous event, which saw all of the hockey World Cup games hosted in the Kalinga Arena in Bhubaneswar, the newly-built Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela served as the second premises for the hockey World Cup 2023.
Venues of World Cup Matches
Birsa Munda Hockey Complex, Rourkela, was expected to stage 20 of the 44 hockey World Cup games, with Bhubaneswar hosting the rest 24 matches and the final.
Seating capacity of the Complex
The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, which seats 20,846 people, is among India’s biggest hockey grounds. In reality, it is the world’s most extensive outdoor hockey field.
Terrace seating options allow the National Hockey Arena in Lahore, the Chandigarh Hockey Arena, and the Weingart Sports complex in Los Angeles to accommodate more spectators. This implies that spectators will be seated atop massive concrete extensions. On the other hand, the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium is the largest of its type, with 20,846 bucket seats.
Construction
The magnificent stadium, completed in 15 months, also has two world-class FIH-approved hockey turfs, fitness facilities, and a World Cup Town that can accommodate up to eight teams. The field, dedicated after Indian independence warrior Birsa Munda, is spread on 50 acres of land on the premises of Biju Patnaik Technology University in Odisha’s Sundergarh region.
The Sundergarh region is among India’s epicentres of hockey skill development, producing luminaries such as former Indian stars Sunita Lakra and Dilip Tirkey. The Odisha Chief Minister publicly opened the Birsa Munda Hockey Complex on January 5, 2023. It staged India’s first World Cup 2023 match versus Spain on January 13. The Birsa Munda Hockey Complex conducted a three-match Evaluate game between Korea Junior and India Junior prior to the World Cup to evaluate the newly-laid artificial turf on the surface.
Facilities at Birsa Munda Hockey Complex
The FIH, the global hockey regulatory organisation, stipulated that two host cities be accessible for the FIH Men’s World Cup 2023. After this, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the development of a fresh new hockey arena in Rourkela.
Over a thousand folks throughout the country were engaged in the rapid building of the Birsa Munda Hockey Complex and its cutting-edge facilities. A changing area, a sauna, a nearby practise pitch, a fitness facility, a pool house, and lodgings built nearby are some of the stadium’s attractions. The stadium is divided into two sections: the upper and lower bowls. Within a 100-meter radius of the stadium, there are six parking spaces.
225 rooms were erected surrounding the stadium compound to house the international players and support workers. The local municipality restored and beautified the site and the rest of the city of Rourkela in preparation for the World Cup. The famed Panposh marketplace in Rourkela was renovated, and the newly built Rourkela airport served as a transportation centre for FIH World Cup players, employees, and administrators.
