Bhubaneswar: The iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is currently hosting the Intercontinental four-nation football tournament and the 62nd Inter State Athletics Championship, serving as India’s new launchpad for athletes to compete in national and international tournaments.
Speaking on the significance of hosting two marquee events overlapping each other, Odisha’s Sports and Youth Services Secretary, Vineel Krishna, assured that Kalinga Stadium will continue to strive to host world-class events, making it a priority to host the finest athletes from India and across the world.
“When the proposal for these events was sent to us, we had indicated that June was a good time, but when the dates were finalised, there was some overlapping due to the Asian Games qualifying deadline. As a result, the athletics championship could only be held during this time span.”
“Many people are surprised as to how we are able to hold two championships at the same venue,” Krishna added.
Stating that hosting these tournaments came with their own challenges, Krishna said, “We were quite confident. Our team is also knowledgeable, having previously worked for hosting several national and international championships.”
He said the athletics events begin in the morning and conclude by 1 p.m., while the Intercontinental Cup starts at 4 p.m.
On Odisha regularly hosting big sporting events, Krishna said, “The multi-sport tournaments will raise Odisha’s profile as a potential host city for important international sporting events. In addition to the international football tournament, we also have athletes from Sri Lanka and Maldives competing in the athletics event. They will all return with a piece of memory from Odisha. They have become our brand ambassadors.”
Speaking on the vision for the future, Krishna said, “We want to host multiple championships in the future at the same location so that the entire stadium complex is optimally utilised. Our stadium resources are excellent, so the planning is running smoothly. We are pleased that we can now host more events at this stadium.”
India and Lebanon will vie for top honours in the Intercontinental Cup final on June 18. Vanuatu and Mongolia were the other two teams that competed in the tournament. The Inter State Athletics Championship kicked off on Thursday and will continue till June 19.
–IANS