A metropolis below building: How Rourkela is utilizing hockey as a catalyst to remodel itself

“Never, never even in my imagination.”
It’s been two years since Rourkela was introduced because the co-host of the 2023 Hockey World Cup however 2000 Olympian Lazarus Barla nonetheless finds it robust to imagine that the world’s 16 finest nations will play on this quiet metal metropolis. “It’s like a dream,” he says whereas overseeing coaching on the Panposh Sports Hostel.
The former worldwide is answerable for this fabled academy, located at a wide ranging location; barely uphill with a transparent view of the confluence of three rivers, Shankh, Koel and Sarasvati. It’s not a coincidence that a number of the calmest defenders who’ve performed for India began their careers at this serene facility.

The scene on the website of Barla’s ‘dream’, although, couldn’t be starker. A few kilometres from Panposh, earthmovers plow the 15-acre land and cranes do the heavy lifting as a workforce of a whole lot — most of them migrant employees from UP, Bihar and Jharkhand — is difficult at work 24×7 in three shifts of eight hours, surrounded by mud, to assemble what can be India’s largest hockey stadium.
The 21,000-seater, saucer-shaped area can be second solely to Lahore’s National Stadium by way of measurement. Adjacent to it, a single-strip aerodrome is about to be upgraded and a multi-purpose constructing on website, which was used as a Covid hospital, is more likely to be become a 200-room resort the place the groups can be put up.
A multi-purpose constructing, used as Covid Hospital, that can be become resort (Express Photo)
It’s an formidable undertaking, provided that the organisers have simply seven months to complete it. But Rourkela — divided into two separate townships, metal and civil — is utilizing the Hockey World Cup as a catalyst to remodel itself fully.
“We are in the midst of an extremely good, mineral-rich region but then there are some areas that are not developed as much as we desire,” District Collector Nikhil Pavan Kalyan says.
In November 2019, when Odisha was chosen by the International Hockey Federation to host its flagship occasion for the second time in a row, it was assumed that Bhubaneswar can be the only real venue prefer it was in 2018.
But in what’s believed to be a last-minute determination, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, whose BJD has been making an attempt to make inroads into western Odisha, introduced that Rourkela would co-host the occasion, which can be held from January 13 to 29, 2023.
Panposh sports activities hostel (Express Photo)
It’s not new for governments to make use of main sporting occasions to develop their cities. Delhi remains to be benefiting from the infrastructure constructed for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, London developed its uncared for East End forward of the 2012 Olympics and Qatar upgraded its cities at a dizzying velocity to prepare for subsequent winter’s soccer World Cup.
Slightly greater than a yr earlier than the 16-team occasion begins, Rourkela — positioned 54th out of 62 within the ease of dwelling index for cities with a inhabitants of lower than one million, rating low on most counts — is a brand new metropolis below building.
The administration has launched initiatives price roughly Rs 650 crore, excluding the price of the principle stadium, which is estimated at Rs 130 crore. From constructing wider roads to creating sports activities and recreation centres, from fixing town’s drainage system to transferring overhead energy traces underground, and from uplifting the parks to beautifying its streets, there’s work underway at nearly each nook. “It’s all planned consciously in a way that we can use the World Cup to develop the city,” Kalyan says. “We want to focus as a destination not only for sports but also for investment for industries, tourism and such.”
Rourkela aerodrome, situated subsequent to the stadium. (Express Photo)
R Vineel Krishna, the commissioner-cum-secretary of Odisha’s Sports and Youth Services Department and particular secretary to the Chief Minister, says funds for these initiatives have been raised by a mix of sources, together with the state funds, the district mineral funds and CSR. “Along with hockey, there’s massive infrastructure coming up in terms of roads, electricity, water supply and other community facilities,” Krishna says.
There’s one thing romantic about worldwide hockey coming to this area. The tribal belt round right here, together with Sundergarh, Sambalpur and Deogarh, has been a relentless conveyor belt of world-class expertise.
A plaque on the ‘Hockey Chowk’ reminds of all the fantastic gamers who’ve come out of this distant space: Barla, Dilip Tirkey, Prabodh Tirkey, William Xalco other than Tokyo Olympians Deep Grace Ekka, Birendra Lakra and Amit Rohidas, whose names are but to be enshrined right here. Three gamers in India’s Junior World Cup squad – Sudeep Chirmako, Sunil Jojo and Abhishek Lakra – too are from this space.“More than 85 players have come from this district. Very few regions have made such a contribution to one sport,” Barla says.
Hockey Chowk, Rourkela (Express Photo)
A number of these gamers have, in some unspecified time in the future, skilled on the Panposh Sports Hostel. The hostel scheme was began in 1985 and even right now, the place appears to be caught in time. There are two turfs: one in all full measurement, positioned on what was as soon as a rice area, and the opposite barely smaller, which Barla says was put in round 1993 or 1994.
It’s now torn and balding, making it harmful to play. The altering rooms are a few hundred metres away. The services are all quite simple and primary, far faraway from the truth that just some miles away, a model new facility, touted to be the ‘most modern’ hockey stadium within the nation, is being erected.
But it’s a race towards time. The work on the stadium, which started in August, remains to be in early phases and should be accomplished by the center of subsequent yr to make sure there’s sufficient time to put the factitious turf and conduct check occasions.

There are logistical hurdles as effectively. There are plans to improve the Rourkela aerodrome and Air Traffic Control Tower to deal with 76-seater plane and flights have been to be scheduled below the Centre’s UDAN scheme for regional connectivity. But that also has not materialised.
Krishna allayed any fears, saying he’s assured that the timelines can be adhered to. “We practically decided around last December to go ahead with it (the new stadium) and when we started the preparation, it got affected by Covid. But now it’s coming up really well. We hope in the next seven-eight months it will be completely ready for the test event,” Krishna says. “What happens with these events is it’s a nonnegotiable timeline… everybody has to ensure that whatever is required for the event is in place.”
A view of the development website (Express Photo)
There are additionally issues that the nation’s largest hockey stadium will flip right into a white elephant after the World Cup is over. Odisha has prolonged its sponsorship with Hockey India till 2033. It is also a accomplice of the worldwide federation, which implies international occasions are more likely to return to this area for a foreseeable future.
But with comparable investments additionally made in Bhubaneswar, which is best related to main cities as effectively, the destiny of the Rourkela stadium stays unclear.
At Panposh, the place future India stars prepare on a worn-out turf, it’s hoped that a minimum of they are going to be allowed to make use of the ability. “They should be allowed,” Barla says. “If the locals won’t be able to use it, then how else will they learn?”

Questions have additionally been raised over the alleged diversion of funds meant for mining-affected communities in Sundergarh district for the development of the stadium. Environmentalists have mentioned that as an alternative of sporting infrastructure, the cash ought to be used for individuals who are immediately affected by mining.
A fortnight in the past, the difficulty took one other political flip after the BJP, in a press convention, accused the state authorities of “cheating the common man”.
Amidst all of the issues and allegations, the work to finish the infrastructure for the largest sporting occasion to be held on this area presses forward.
“This will be huge for tribal kids in the countryside. It’ll have very high social significance,” Tirkey, the previous India captain, says. “Until now Rourkela did not even host an international match. Now, a World Cup will take place there. Just imagine.”