Bhubaneswar: The much-awaited FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 will officially get underway with a grand opening ceremony at the Barabati Stadium in the millennium city Cuttack of Odisha on Wednesday.
The inaugural ceremony of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023, dubbed ‘Celebrations’, will showcase India’s rich culture and recent advancements. The extravaganza will also see global and local Odia celebrities light up the stadium with their musical and dance performances.
Bollywood stars Ranveer Singh and Disha Patani, internationally acclaimed K-Pop band BLACK SWAN, featuring Odisha’s very own Shreya Lenka, are some of the stars expected to perform in a packed 40,000-capacity stadium.
Bollywood music composer Pritam, who composed the official Hockey World Cup anthem, Hockey Hai Dil Mera, will also perform live with the 11 singers who sang the song.
The FIH Hockey World Cup opening ceremony starts at the Barabati Stadium at 3:00 pm IST on Wednesday. Fans can watch the live telecast of the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 opening ceremony on Star Sports First, Star Sports Select 2, and Star Sports Select 2 HD. Live streaming of the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 opening ceremony will also be available on the Disney+Hotstar app and website.
Giant LED screens and 16 Hockey Fan Parks have been set up across Cuttack for live streaming of the opening ceremony.
“The ‘Celebration’ is an integral part of the tournament as it symbolises our pride in both our state and our nation for playing host to the Hockey World Cup for the second consecutive time,” Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey said.
After the opening ceremony, the action will move to Bhubaneswar and Rourkela – the two cities that will host the FIH Hockey World Cup 2023 matches, starting from January 13.
The Indian men’s hockey team will open its campaign against Spain at the newly-built Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela on January 13.
