Sundargarh euphoric over CM’s plan for Rourkela hockey stadium

ROURKELA: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s announcement of setting up India’s biggest hockey stadium in Rourkela has drawn a euphoric response from sports lovers in the district.
Residents said hockey has been a way of life for the tribal-dominated Sundargarh district with many of its players going on to represent India at the national and international level. The district boasts of four sports hostels — the state-owned Panposh sports hostel in Rourkela, the Sundargarh hostel, the Centre-sponsored SAI sports hostel in Sundargarh and SAIL-owned hockey academy in Rourkela.
Players like Dilip Tirkey, Lajrush Barla, Ignase Tirkey, Prabodh Tirkey, Birendra Lakra, Subhadra Pradhan, Jyoti Sunita Kulu, Nilima Minz, Serofina Xess, among others, from the district have gone on to represent the Indian hockey team.
Sources said though the district witnessed several international players, its own budding talents were deprived of the exposure to international-level games despite the presence of the Biju Patnaik Hockey stadium in Rourkela. The stadium lacked floodlight, which is a must for international-level hockey matches. “Sports lovers in the district had also put forth a demand to organise Hockey World Cup matches in Rourkela, which was accepted by the CM,” Subash Panda, general secretary, Rourkela Sports Association, said.