FIH Hockey Pro League draws spectators back to BMIHS

Rourkela: With the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023-24 matches for women underway and matches for men set to begin from Monday, hockey lovers in Sundargarh district are slowly returning to watch international players in live action.
After co-hosting the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup (HWC) in January 2023 and the FIH Pro League 2022-23 for men in March the same year, the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium (BMIHS) in Rourkela will host an international event after 11 months. Is hosting.

While the previous edition of the Pro League matches was highly successful, this edition has so far attracted low viewership due to reportedly inadequate promotion and conflicts with the teenagers’ examination schedules.
Organizers expected the footfall to be higher during the men’s matches, however, around 3,000–5,000 spectators were seen coming to the stadium during the women’s matches, which they said was a good number. He said around 14,000-15,000 people come to watch the women’s matches on February 12 and 14, which is much higher than the number seen at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

He said, the number of spectators increases during India matches at Kalinga Stadium, but the people of Rourkela are very keen to watch the matches, even if India is not involved in them.
Senior hockey coach Kalu Charan Chaudhary said that it is necessary to organize such international hockey events at regular intervals to make hockey more popular.
Expecting more crowds during the upcoming men’s matches, Choudhary said the government made special arrangements for inmates and coaches from grassroots hockey training centers from 16 blocks of Sundargarh as well as Jujumura and Bamra centers in adjacent Sambalpur district. So that they can be provided. Exposure and opportunity to learn high-quality techniques of the game.

BMIHS is hosting 10 matches each from India, Australia, Netherlands, Spain, Ireland, China and USA. While the women’s matches are scheduled from February 12 to 18, the men’s matches will be held from February 19 to 25.
Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey thanked the BJD government for supporting hockey and said both Bhubaneswar and Rourkela have quality infrastructure. “FIH has been very supportive and Hockey India plans to organize at least one mega FIH tournament annually in Rourkela along with the Junior World Cup to further popularize hockey,” he said.