Bhubaneswar: In order to motivate and create interest in hockey, the Odisha government took more than 100 school students from Bhubaneswar to a tour of the newly built stadium in Rourkela.
The departments of SC/ST Development and Sports and Youth Services made arrangements for the tour. As many as 133 students of Tapovan High School in Bhubaneswar were flown in a charter flight to Rourkela to experience the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium and the transformed city.
“Although these students are studying in Bhubaneswar, they come from small villages and belong to different tribal areas. Sitting in an aircraft and watching how villages look from above was a memorable and surreal experience for them,” said District Welfare Officer PM Pradhan who received them at the airport.
Pradhan said the students were taken on a tour of the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium so that they could get a feel of the facility. They also interacted with Hockey India officials who explained to them the aspects of the game and the stadium.
After the stadium visit, they were taken around the city. “They went on a visit to IG Park, the Hockey Chowk and various attractive installations that have been decorated for the tournament which begins on January 13,” Pradhan said.
The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium will host two matches on Friday where England will take on Wales, and home team India will take on Spain.
