The 2023 Men’s Hockey World Championships kicked off Wednesday night with a grand opening ceremony at the picturesque Barabati Stadium in Cuttack in front of thousands of hockey fans. hockey around the country and abroad. Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Chief Minister Odisha Naveen Patnaik, International Hockey Federation president Tayyab Ikram and Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey were present at the glittering ceremony to welcome the players. members of all 16 participating teams.
Ikram, in his speech, praised Odisha for hosting the big event twice in a row, the last time in 2018 and called the state “The Land of Hockey”.
Thakur thanked the Odisha government for successfully organizing this monumental event and said the enthusiasm of the people of India and the state showed their love for the game.
He said the Center will always support states to organize such sporting events.
Patnaik said Odisha has long been known for its hospitality and hopes every visitor will have good memories when they stay in the state.
He thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Coalition government for supporting Odisha to host the World Hockey Tournament twice in a row.
The one-hour opening ceremony was opened and succeeded with colorful cultural programs, attracting a large audience.
The celebration kicks off with the state’s beautiful tribal dance, which is a combination of at least six local dance forms choreographed by renowned dancer Aruna Mohanty.
Singers Odia Sniti Mishra, Rituraj Mohanty, Lisa Mishra and a host of other performers, including the actor couple Sabyasachi Mishra and Archita Sahu captivated the audience.
Sixteen fan parks have been set up at key locations across the city, where thousands of hockey fans and enthusiasts witnessed the opening ceremony on giant screens. .
Hundreds of Bollywood singers and local artists sang the Hockey World Championship theme song composed by music director Pritam, who also performed on stage alongside several other singers.
The matches will be held at two venues – Birsa Mundra Hockey Stadium in Rourkela and Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar – from January 13 to January 29.
While 20 matches will be played in Rourkela, 24 matches, including the final, will be held in Bhubaneswar.
The state government built a new hockey stadium in Rourkela before the event.
Odisha will host the international event for the second time in a row, the previous one being held in Bhubaneswar in 2018.
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