FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 : Everything you should know about the Birsa Munda Stadium

On January 13, the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 will get underway, and Odisha will host the quadrennial event for the second time in a row.

However, the recently constructed Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela will serve as the second venue for the Hockey World Cup 2023, in contrast to the previous edition, when all of the tournament’s games were played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhuvaneswar.

Twenty of the 44 hockey World Cup games will be held in Rourkela, with the final and the other 24 games being held in Bhuvaneswar.

One of the largest hockey stadiums in India, the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium can accommodate over 20,000 people.

The stadium, named after Indian freedom warrior Birsa Munda, is spread on 15 acres of ground on the campus of Biju Patnaik University of Technology in Odisha’s Sundergarh district. The Sundergarh district is recognised as one of India’s hotbeds of developing hockey talent, having produced legends such as former Indian players Dilip Tirkey and Sunita Lakra.

Odisha has come a long way in creating world-class sports infrastructure. Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium will be another feather in the cap.

Under the leadership of Hon’ble CM Shri @Naveen_Odisha, the state is turning into the preferred sporting destination of the world. pic.twitter.com/qM6Ixl6QlV

— Odisha Sports (@sports_odisha) January 5, 2023

On January 13, the Birsa Munda Stadium will host India’s opening World Cup 2023 match versus Spain. India will face England at the same site two days later. The Kalinga Stadium will host the quarter-finals, semi-finals, and final, while Birsa Munda Stadium will host the classification matches. The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium recently hosted a three-match Test series between Korea Junior and India junior.

Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Facilities

The FIH, the international hockey governing organisation, stipulated that two host cities be made available for the FIH Men’s World Cup 2023. Following this, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik approved the construction of a fresh new hockey stadium in Rourkela, which will open in February 2021.

Unravel the making & inauguration of one of the World’s largest Hockey stadiums in the world, in the heart of Odisha. Watch ‘Superstructures: Birsa Munda – International Hockey Stadium, Rourkela’, coming soon on National Geographic. #partnercontent with @sports_odisha pic.twitter.com/bsPahLgvYb

— Nat Geo India (@NatGeoIndia) January 5, 2023

In a short period of time, almost 1000 employees from throughout the country were involved in the construction of the Birsa Munda hockey stadium and its cutting-edge amenities. The Odisha Chief Minister will officially open the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in January.

A connected tunnel between the dressing room and the neighboring practice pitch, a separate fitness center, a swimming pool, and accommodations erected nearby are some of the stadium’s unique features.

In total, 225 rooms have been built around the stadium complex to house the international players and support staff. The entire city of Rourkela has been decked out for the World Cup, with rehabilitation and beautification work recently completed by the local administration.

The whole city of Rourkela in fact has been decorated to host the tournament and if India wins the FIH Men’s Hockey World cup 2023, it will be icing on the cake.