Odisha to host FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2021 in Bhubaneswar

The much-awaited announcement was made in Bhubaneswar on Thursday by the Chief Minister, Odisha, Naveen Patnaik, in the presence of Minister for Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha, Tusharkanti Behera, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra and Hockey India Secretary-General Mr Rajinder Singh.

This marquee event in the international hockey calendar will be held from November 24 to December 5, 2021 and will feature 16 teams which are India, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, Egypt, Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, USA, Canada, Chile and Argentina.

While Odisha is also gearing up to host the 2023 FIH Men's Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik accepted the proposal to host the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 starting in November.

He also launched the logo for the prestigious event. "Odisha is the hub for hockey in the country and the Odisha State Government will continue to do everything in our capacity to help the sport grow further and achieve further laurels on the world level. We look forward to welcoming 16 top teams from across the world to participate in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021. We are delighted to be hosts of this prestigious tournament. Our priority will be to ensure a safe environment to compete during these challenging covid times," stated Naveen Patnaik.

"The FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 is the pinnacle of tournaments for U-21 and is a very important fixture in the FIH calendar. We are delighted that Odisha with their world-class infrastructure are set to host an event of this magnitude. As always, we have been extended full support by the Odisha State Government and the event will be held following all required Covid-19 protocols." expressed Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra. (ANI)