Hockey India rubbishes speculation of FIH Series Finals moving out of Odisha
Hockey India assured that the FIH Series Finals will be played in Odisha after the damage done to the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar by cyclone Fani had left a lot of doubts. The federation has assured that after assessing the damage, they would help the government by extending their support.
Odisha was left with substantial damage by Fani and Kalinga Stadium was not spared. However, as the Odisha government’s Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS), the damage was minor and it should be up and ready by the end of May.
Meanwhile, speculations were rife that the tournament was being moved to either Lucknow or Raipur. However, top HI official has now assured that it would be held in Odisha next month, as per schedule, and in fact, there wasn’t any such decision taken of shifting venues with the national body committed to host it in Bhubaneswar.
“I don’t know from where these reports come from but we absolutely had no discussions with Odisha government about shifting the venue,” said a top HI official, reported PTI.
“We are is in touch with the Odisha government officials and we have been informed that the extent of damage in the hockey stadium is minimal. Hockey India officials will also travel to Bhubaneswar this week to assess the condition of the turf and take stock of the situation at the official team hotels.
“In this time of need, we at Hockey India have offered to extend any support the Odisha government seeks. Our thoughts go out to the victims and their families affected due to the cyclone,” the official added.
Bhubaneswar had successfully hosted the FIH World Cup six months back and they would continue to do the same for FIH Series Finals as well with DSYS assessment not detecting grave upheavals.
“Our team has taken stock of the situation at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium which has suffered minor damages that can be repaired by the end of May. We are working closely to restore stadium operations,” Odisha Commissioner-cum-Secretary (Sports), Vishal Dev said.
“The team from Hockey India, along with technical experts, will be soon taking stock of the stadium and the turf.”
Seven countries, including Japan, Mexico, Poland, Russia, South Africa, USA, and Uzbekistan, apart from India would be competing at the event that is a qualifying tournament for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
