Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup; Rs 82 crore spent

Action during India versus Argentina semifinal duel in the World Hockey League at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday. India lost 0-1. Photograph: Ashok Panda

Bhubaneswar: The state government had made a budgetary allocation of Rs 82 crore for the just concluded Odisha Men’s Hockey World Cup here,  Sports and Youth Services Secretary Vishal Dev said here on Sunday.

The tournament played at the Kalinga Stadium has come in for appreciation both from home and abroad, especially the city’s ability to execute a world-class tournament with finesse.

Talking to mediapersons during the opening event of the 20^th All Odisha Nalco Tennis Tournament at Kalinga Stadium, Dev said since the state government had successfully organized the mega sporting event, plans are afoot to organise the Hockey World Series at the Kalinga Stadium in June next year.

Besides, efforts are on to organize some other international sporting events in the next year.

Impressed over the successful completion of the games, International Hockey Federation (FIH)’s Executive Board meeting in Bhubaneswar last week decided to reopen the bids for the next world cup.

According to Firstpost, several European contingent members told ‘The Hockey Insider’ that it would not be easy, if possible at all, to get the whole city involved with an event like Bhubaneswar 2018 World Cup.

It would be a tough job for the host of the next world cup to match the scale, the grandeur and success of the Bhubaneswar event.