New Delhi: Hockey India (HI) on Saturday congratulated Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for completing a two-year milestone since being refurbished for the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.
“Providing the best facilities for our players and fans is a top most priority and we are always grateful to the Odisha government for sharing this vision. It has been fantastic to see the way the Kalinga Stadium has been appreciated by one and all in the last two years,” HI Officiating President Gyanendro Ningombam said on the occasion.
“We are looking forward to organizing many more big tournaments at the Kalinga Stadium in the future,” he added.
In its official website, Hockey India mentioned that it was through the efforts of the Odisha government and the organisation that many additions were made to the stadium to create an enthralling experience for fans and players.
Both practice and main turfs were re-laid with new blue turf as per the FIH specifications. The capacity of the main stadium was increased to 15,000. Two new galleries, one on North and other on the South side, were added to the iconic venue, making it a total of four grand stands.
The opening of the refurbished Kalinga Stadium was marked with an exhibition match between hockey legends Dhanraj Pillay and Dilip Tirkey’s teams on October 10, 2018.
The HI’s Competitions Department designed and implemented four players’ changing rooms in the refurbished stadium. Three dedicated goalkeeper equipment rooms were also designed keeping in mind the elaborate kitting that a goalkeeper has and a dedicated changing room for umpires was added as well.
An exclusive lounge for the players and officials was constructed, while a dedicated Media Centre, special boxes for VIPs and officials were created at the venue.
Also, a Walk of Champions was created, showcasing the World Cup winners starting from 1971 to 2014 dedicated to Men’s Hockey World Champions and the athlete’s participating in the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.
The Kalinga stadium, which has come to be known as one of the best hockey stadiums in the world, has hosted many top level tournaments since the Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018. The competitions include FIH Men’s Series Finals, FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers (Men and Women) and FIH Hockey Pro League.
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