Bhubaneswar: Odisha gets International Hockey Federation (FIH) certification for one more hockey stadium in the state. Some time back, the state received FIH certification for the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela which is currently hosting the Hockey Men’s World Cup championship.
Sources in the FIH source said that Tileikani hockey stadium in the Sundargarh district of Odisha has been tested and met the requirements for FIH Category III hockey field certification. The FIH issued the certificate on January 16, 2023, and is it valid till December 27, 2025.
This was confirmed by Hockey India (HI), which too to its Twitter handle to announce, “Tileikani Hockey Stadium in Tileikani, Odisha, has been granted the FIH Category III Hockey field certificate. Congratulations! #IndiaKaGame #HockeyIndia @CMO_Odisha @sports_odisha @IndiaSports @Media_SAI.”
Odisha Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) also congratulated Hockey India on this achievement. The CMO wrote on Twitter, “Congratulations @sports_odisha as Tileikani Hockey Stadium in #Sundargarh district received FIH Category 3 Hockey field certificate. The state-of-the-art stadium will further strengthen hockey infrastructure at the grassroots level and nurture talent. #HockeyWorldCup2023.”
Meanwhile, FIH president Tayyab Ikram confirmed that in terms of seating capacity Birsa Munda International Stadium is the largest stadium for hockey in the world. “No other hockey stadium in the world except Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela has a 21,800 seating capacity,” Ikram had earlier said at a press conference last week.
He said that the seating capacity at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium was raised from 20,000 to 21,800, he had added.
