Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday bought the first ticket for the upcoming Intercontinental Cup 2023 that will be played in Odisha capital from June 9-18.
Captain of the Indian Football team, Sunil Chhetri, handed the first ticket for the marquee event to the Chief Minister in presence of General Secretary of the All-India Football Federation Shaji Prabhakaran and Coach of the Indian Football team Igor Stimac.
This four-nation tournament will feature India, Lebanon, Mongolia, and Vanuatu. “There is a lot of love for football amongst the people of Odisha. Hosting this spectacular event is another honour for us and will undoubtedly thrill the numerous football fans across the state and India,” Naveen said.
Since it is for the first time that Odisha will be hosting international men’s football tournament, the CM urged the football fans to come in large number to the stadium to cheer for the Blue Tigers (India).
The Intercontinental Cup will kick off with Lebanon taking on Vanuatu while the home team India will be taking on Mongolia in their first game of the campaign.
Odisha has also hosted the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022, SAFF U-20 Championship 2022, ISL seasons, IWL 2021-22, and the Odisha Women’s League. The interest in football in the state grew as the state-partnered Odisha FC, which is based out of the Kalinga Sports Complex, recently brought home the coveted Super Cup. It is also the only state that has two teams competing in the Indian Women’s League (IWL).
