Bhubaneswar:25/6/18; As Odisha gears up to host the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 starting November 28, 2018, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) event director Ms. Gabrielle van Zwieten arrived in Bhubaneswar on a two-day visit on Monday and reviewed the preparations at the Kalinga Stadium.
Accompanied by officials from the host federation Hockey India, Gabrielle held meetings with sports secretary Vishal K Dev and representatives from various departments and discussed the overall progress of work. The day-long proceedings also included the fifth executive committee meeting for the upcoming event chaired by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi.
On Tuesday, Gabrielle will visit the remaining facilities to complete her inspection visit and check the preparedness to host the International teams.
“I am delighted with the progress of work here at the Kalinga Stadium and I am quite confident the venue will be ready well within the stipulated time. The keenness of the Odisha government and Hockey India to deliver to perfection and leave no stone unturned in their preparations to host the biggest hockey event is worth a mention and I am confident the hockey fraternity will witness a spectacular event,” stated Gabrielle.
The infrastructural work at the Kalinga Stadium includes the up-gradation of seating capacity to 15,000. The stadium will also get two brand new pitches. The floodlights at both main pitch and the practice pitch too have been upgraded while the entire main stadium is being given a face-lift with wider roads, new gates and permanent CCTV cameras for safety point of view.