Rourkela: The Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium here which is the world’s largest hockey arena as per the International Hockey Federation (FIH) certification has special facilities and seats for differently-abled persons so that they can watch matches without any inconvenience, an official said Sunday.
However, it should be stated here that most international stadiums across the world have facilities for the physically challenged. The stadium has been named after legendary tribal freedom fighter Birsa Munda. It was completed just 15 months ahead of the hockey World Cup, while the village was built in nine months, the official informed. The stadium will play host to 20 matches.
In order to make the arrangements friendly, special emphasis has been placed to build a ramp that leads to the lift, taking the physically challenged hockey fans to the floor having access to the stand on the first tier, Sports Secretary of the Odisha government, R Vineel Krishna said. “A differently-abled person can enter the stadium from any gate. We have made it universally accessible for them. The stadium has about 100 seats allocated for them,” Krishna stated.
Besides arrangements for differently-abled people, the stadium aims to provide a classic match experience for all fans visiting the venue. The gallery seating is designed in such a way that there will not be any vision block for fans irrespective of where they are seated in the stadium, Krishna said. He added that fans will never miss the live action.
The sports secretary said that the Odisha government has followed all norms and protocols. The stadium has been divided into two levels – the lower bowl and upper bowl. For fans traveling to the stadium in vehicles, there are six spacious parking lots within a 100- meter radius of the stadium. The pathway from the parking lot to the stadium has been designed in such a way that the fans will enjoy their walk to the stands and witness the beautiful art which encapsulates the true spirit of hockey. There are signages put around everywhere for better navigation up to their seats, an official said. The new stadium is a prime example of the commitment towards making events inclusive for all, Krishna added.