Bhubaneswar: With the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 remaining just few days to take to the ground in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, the Hockey fever has gripped all across Odisha. While the sport has been the favorite with the people of Odisha, the World Cup has ignited celebrations from the villages to the urban centers. People are gathering in huge numbers to celebrate the Hockey cult and cheer for their favorite teams and players as the D Day is fast approaching.
The World Cup Hockey Trophy which has been making rounds across the districts is attracting huge crowds who are welcoming it from the core of their hearts. Starting from school children to college going youth and common men, all are lining up to have a glimpse of the trophy and be a part of the greatest event that is going to be held in their own state.
The hockey frenzy is at its peak in Rourkela – the city that will be hosting the World Cup. The city has got the biggest Hockey Stadium in the country and the city has been decked up with beautification. The new look city is shining today with picturesque landscape and colorful insignia. The craze for hockey has made a young lady student of Sushilavati Government Women’s College in Rourkela to make a mehendi design on her hands with Hockey messages. The mehendi design has the cheer for the Indian Hockey team and a clear message on how Rourkela is eagerly waiting for the tournament.
In Puri, the young artist Dibyajyoti Martha has depicted a beautiful Hockey Trophy on a traditional saree. She is proud that Odisha is hosting the World Cup and wants to make it a memorable one. She welcomed the Hockey World Cup 2023 by making Indian and culture artworks in the saree and she wants to dedicate it to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Students of the prestigious Berhampur ITI have made a huge 43 feet tall Hockey Stick out of scrap iron materials. Three hundred students of the institute got united to make two such Hockey sticks and get themselves into the Guinness Book of World Records. Their love for hockey is clearly visible in their toil.
In capital city Bhubaneswar, people in thousands gathered near the Sikharchandi hills today to celebrate the Hockey frenzy under the banner of Patha Utsav. Cultural programs, cyclothon, dance, drama and action adventure packed activities enthralled the citizens who also danced to the tunes of Hockey.
In Cuttack, as part of the celebrations of the Raising Day, Cuttack Police dedicated the day to Hockey World Cup and organized a mega Marathon “I Love Hockey”. People in Berhampur on Sunday gathered in huge numbers to celebrate Run for Hockey and cheer for the greatest event that is binding all the people into one. In Malkangiri, the Malyabanta Mahotsava was dedicated to the Hockey World Cup and people in large numbers joined the celebrations.
The Hockey trophy is currently in its last leg of visits to various districts. All the people have lent a huge support to make it a successful event. From the northern end of Balasore to the Southern end at Chitrakonda, people have united under the banner of Odisha Hockey World Cup. Hockey today has become a uniting factor for the entire state and country. The event is surely going to have a positive impact on the social cultural ethos of the state.