The Organising Committee of the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Hockey Men's World Cup 2023, Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, on Friday reviewed the progress of the preparations for the upcoming world cup.
The meeting was conveyed with senior officials of Hockey India and they discussed about smooth and successful conduct of the event.
As per the statement from Odisha Government, the meeting was Chaired by Chief Secretary Suresh Chandra Mahapatra and President Hockey India Dilip Tirkey, the meeting brought together heads of all departments to review the progress of various activities related to the smooth and successful conduct of the event.
Chief Secretary directed different departments to complete the projects aligned with the marquee event well before the scheduled time.
The committee stressed on connectivity and hospitality and showcasing Odisha as the land of heritage and culture besides being a hockey hub.
The members also discussed about the commencement of commercial flights to Rourkela from December 2022.
"Provisions were being made for charter flights between two venues of the World Cup for the teams. Special buses would also ply during the World Cup to make it easy for players, officials and spectators to have a smooth experience. Special attractions were being curated by the Tourism Department to make a lasting impression on the visitors and fans," the government said in a statement.
Mahapatra directed to officials to utilise the marquee event for promoting hockey amongst children.
"It was decided to orgay sports carnivals and sports events at the district level in association with schools. The meeting also looked into matters relating to technology, security, safety, pollution, beautification, promotion, city fests etc," the statement reads.
Sports Secretary R Vineel Krisha said, "Under the leadership of visionary Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Odisha has set a benchmark with the Hockey Men's World Cup 2018 and the state is committed and working towards hosting this at a spectacular scale".
City festivals were planned in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela for the mega event. Similarly, district-level festivals were also planned in major towns across the State to celebrate the Hockey World Cup.
Chief Secretary Mahapatra laid focus on the adoption of green practices at the two venues.
The 2023 edition of the Hockey World Cup has stirred the emotions and enthusiasm of fans and players, and people are eagerly looking forward to January when Odisha will once again demonstrate why it has evolved to become a global hub of hockey.
The Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 will take place at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar and at the Bisra Munda Stadium in Rourkela from January 13 to 29, 2023.
This is the second consecutive World Cup to be held in India - and fourth overall.
( With inputs from ANI )
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