Odisha Builds “World’s Largest” Hockey Stadium. BJP Counters Naveen Patnaik
The Odisha government claims that Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela is the “world’s largest” hockey facility in terms of seating capacity and is approved by the International Hockey Federation, despite a dispute over its standing among major stadiums across the world (FIH). Along with Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the Rourkela venue will host the Men’s World Cup Hockey, which is organised by the FIH.
The competition will take place from January 13 through January 29. On Thursday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik declared Rourkela to be home to “the largest hockey stadium in the world,” but a BJP MLA disputed this statement, saying it is actually “the fourth largest.”
“Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela is the world’s biggest. We are not saying this. It has been certified by FIH that the stadium is the biggest in terms of seating capacity,” Sports and Youth Affairs Minister TK Behera said.
According to BJP member Shankar Oram of Biramitrapur in the Sundergarh district, the National Hockey Stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, has a capacity of 45,000 spectators, making it the largest in the world.
It is followed by the 30,000-seat Chandigarh Hockey Stadium and the multifunctional Weingart Stadium in Los Angeles, both in the United States (22,355).
He responded, “Bisra Munda Hockey Stadium comes at number four,” expressing confusion over the Chief Minister’s claim that it was the “world’s largest.”
R Vaineel Krishna, the sports secretary for Odisha, previously told Press Trust of India that the Bisra Munda Hockey Stadium is the biggest in India since it can accommodate 20,000 spectators for an official match, a capacity that is unheard of elsewhere in the country.400 players and officials can stay in the World Cup Village, which has 225 rooms and is located next to the Birsa Munda Stadium. Twenty of the 44 World Cup games will be held at Rourkela.
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