Odisha Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera said that not only the infrastructure but also the process is ready for the successful conduct of the tournament.
Behera said, “Odisha is once again ready to play the role of the perfect host.”
He told that the teams will start reaching Bhubaneswar from this week.
The minister said that the Odisha government and Hockey India officials are working on every aspect of the tournament to ensure that the tournament is conducted in a completely safe environment.
The last Junior Hockey World Cup was held in Lucknow in 2016 and India became champions by defeating Belgium in the final.
After almost five years, once again the tournament is being organized in India. This time however, due to the Kovid-19 epidemic, the tournament will be held in an empty stadium.
Behera said, “There is disappointment among the players and hockey lovers as spectators will not come to the stadium in this World Cup. We will miss the enthusiasm of the people in the packed stadium. Players will get a challenging but great experience to play in this World Cup.
Dilip Tirkey, chairman of the Odisha Hockey Promotion Council and former Indian player, said, “A new era has started in hockey and Odisha has a deep relationship with hockey, the state is fully committed to the game.”
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