Finance
The Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela has been inscribed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest fully seated hockey stadium. VK Pandian, Secretary to CM (5T), informed Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik of the achievement in a video posted on his Instagram account.
“A proud moment for #Odisha. The largest fully seated hockey stadium of the #world is the Birsa Munda Hockey stadium in Rourkela. Just certified by the Guinness Book of World Records. Salute the team Odisha and inspiring vision of HCM @naveen_odisha. Jai Jagannatha”, Pandian’s Instagram post accompanied by the video, read.
On January 5, this year, the Odisha Chief Minister dedicated the Birsa Munda hockey stadium in Rourkela. The Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup 2023 was held at Birsa Munda and Kalinga stadiums in Bhubaneswar. The Birsa Munda Stadium is spread across 15 acres of land on the campus of Biju Patnaik University of Technology. It has a swimming pool, a fitness center, and a tunnel that connects the dressing room and the practice field. This stadium hosted a total of 20 of the 44 hockey World Cup matches.
Expressing delight at the news, the Chief Minister said, “That indeed is thrilling news. I am truly delighted that the Guinness Book of Records had recognised the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela to be the biggest hockey stadium in the world. I congratulate the people of Odisha and the team that made this possible. I am amazed that it has been built in 15 months. It’s truly a great accomplishment for the people of Odisha.”
