The Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 began with a spectacular ceremony at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, Odisha...
Digital Desk: The Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 was off on Wednesday evening with a stunning opening ceremony at Cuttack's scenic Barabati Stadium, which was seen by thousands of hockey fans from around the country and overseas.
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, International Hockey Federation president Tayyab Ikram, and Hockey India chairman Dilip Tirkey all attended the dazzling ceremony to welcome members of all 16 competing teams.
Ikram praised Odisha for hosting the huge event twice in a row, the most recent time in 2018, and referred to the state as the "Land of Hockey" in his speech.
Thakur complimented the Odisha government for hosting the event in magnificent style and stated that the passion of the people of India and the state demonstrated their love for the game.
He stated that the Centre will always support states in staging such athletic events.
Patnaik stated that Odisha has always been known for its hospitality and that he hopes every tourist leaves with fond recollections of their visit to the state.
He praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government for helping Odisha host the Men's Hockey World Cup for the second time in a row.
The hour-long opening ceremony was preceded and followed by colourful cultural programmes that captivated the audience.
The festival began with a magnificent tribal dance art of the state choreographed by acclaimed dance teacher Aruna Mohanty, which was a synthesis of at least six native dance forms.
Sniti Mishra, Rituraj Mohanty, Lisa Mishra, and a group of other artists, including actor-couple Sabyasachi Mishra and Archita Sahu, wowed the crowd with their performance.
Sixteen fan parks were built in strategic locations throughout the city, where thousands of hockey fans and enthusiasts watched the opening ceremony on large screens.
Hundreds of Bollywood and local singers performed the Hockey World Cup theme song, which was composed by music director Pritam, who also performed on stage with several other singers.
From January 13 to January 29, the matches will be staged at two locations: Rourkela's Birsa Mundra Hockey Stadium and Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium.
While Rourkela will host 20 matches, Bhubaneswar will host 24 matches, including the final.
In preparation for the event, the state government has pitched a new hockey stadium in Rourkela.
Odisha is hosting the international event for the second time in a row, with the previous one taking place in Bhubaneswar in 2018.
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