Bhubaneswar: Ahead of the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup ‘Celebrations’ opening ceremony at Barabati Stadium in Odisha’s Cuttack city on Wednesday, sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik sculpted the world’s largest hockey stick on the banks of the Mahanadi.
The giant 105-feet long hockey stick which has been created using 5000 hockey balls and over five tonnes of sand also showcases the newly built Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela with 16 national flags of the participating teams. It took him two days to complete the art installation.
“There is a festive atmosphere across the state because of the World Cup. It is a very special event for the people of Odisha and there are celebrations everywhere. To welcome everyone to this beautiful city, we wanted to create something unique this time, that’s why we thought of using hockey balls and creating this installation,” he said.
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During 2018 edition of the World Cup, Sudarsan created an installation depicting the major monuments of Odisha like Konark at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
A host of Bollywood stars, including Ranveer Singh and Disha Patani, will also perform during the opening ceremony, which will begin at 3 pm.
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The matches will be played at Kalinga and Birsa Munda stadia from January 13-29.
