Bhubaneswar: It’s just been close to three weeks since former Indian hockey stars like Dhanraj Pillay, Dilip Tirkeya and Viren Rasquinha came out from retirement and took the field along with the current hockey stars to inaugurate the renovated Kalinga Stadium which will also host the upcoming men’s hockey World Cup from November 28.
With the cyclone ‘Titli’ depriving the most from watching their favorite stars play the October 10 encounter, the hockey lovers of Odisha however will once against get a chance when Odisha XI face New South Wales XI November 1 here at the iconic stadium, mainly a part of the promotional activity by the state government before the mega event gets underway.
According to the sources, the NSW players are expected to be in the city by October 31. After playing the exhibition match, both the local starts and the Australia-based team will travel to Rourkela where both the teams will play another exhibition match November 4 at Biju Patnaik Hockey Stadium, Sector-V of SAIL’s Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). The Odisha team will be captained by Amit Rohidas which also includes Dipsan Tirkey, Shilanand Lakra, Birendra Lakra, Nilam Sanjeep Xess and youngsters Roshan Minz and Teofil Kujur.
Squads announced
With the men’s hockey World Cup exactly a month away, the hockey fever has already gripped the city with the mega event getting underway at the iconic kalinga Stadium November 28.
Meanwhile, the Netherlands and Ireland became the first two sides to announce their squads Friday for the sport’s biggest extravaganza. While the Dutch reached the finals last time at home losing to champions Australia, this will be Ireland’s first appearance at the showpiece global tournament since 1990.
Chess tourney
Sushanta Kumar Sahoo of Khurda emerged champion of the Odisha State Chess Championship for Deaf which concluded here Sunday. Babula Kumar Datee of Sambalpur finished second.