The Hockey World Cup is finally here, and the mega event is to be hosted in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in Odisha. Kicking off on January 13, this year's edition will be one of the biggest to ever be held across 15 editions of the tournament, both venue-wise and cost-wise.
This is the first time that the event will be hosted across two different cities. But this is not the only major difference between the two separate editions of the tournament.
In 2018, India reportedly spent just Rs 66.98 crore, as compared to a massive Rs 1,098.4 crore, which was the amount of money that was used for the construction of the magnificent Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela, the upgradation of Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium and the beautification of the two cities.
The major investment made by Odisha is a sign of the future of the state's involvement in the sport — Which has been involved in hockey for many years. They have regularly hosted international events for the better part of the last decade, and will also sponsor the national hockey teams until 2033. Even the president of Hockey India — former India captain Dilip Tirkey — hails from the state, which is one of the partners of the international federation as well.
The amenities at the stadium are definitely world-class. A single-strip aerodrome in Rourkela was upgraded just for the tournament. The accommodation for most of the teams is a 200-room hotel that was a Covid hospital a couple of years ago — less than 200m away from the training pitch and the main stadium.
The road to the complex is dotted with murals of hockey players on walls, pavements and buildings. The streets are aesthetically lit up, and a replica of the World Cup trophy sits pretty at the ‘Hockey Chowk’, where a plaque is a reminder of all the top players who have come out of the state. And these are just some of the upgrades that have been made to the complex.
But a burning question arises. After spending so much money on a 20-day event. How does it benefit the future of the state? The simple answer? It does not seem to.
"Hockey is popular, no doubt, but it’s important for 10 — maybe 20 — percent of the population here,” Rourkela resident Pramod Baag, a driver, told The Indian Express.
“The World Cup is for 20 days but after that, what happens to all this? Instead of hundreds of crores on a stadium, if they would have built a hospital, it would have been helpful to more people. Right now, we have to go to Bhubaneswar for a major medical issue,” he said.
Despite these clearly underlying issues, both cities, and especially Rourkela — are pumped up for the event. Queues outside the ticket counters are long and the finishing touches are being put on the stadiums.
