In one its most ambitious projects in Odisha for its marquee upcoming tournament Hockey World Cup 2018, Sports and Youth Services Department (DSYS), Government of Odisha, is looking to complete the infrastructural work in the Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar by June.

As part of the plan, the existing seating capacity of the Hockey Stadium are being increased from 9,000 to 16,000, a DSYS press release said today. The existing pink and blue turfs on the main and practice pitch are being replaced by the new turfs from Germany.The existing turfs will be re-laid at Sundergarh, Jujumora and Sambalpur.

The construction of two additional galleries at the north and south ends and construction of two additional floors at the west stand is slated to be complete by June as well. There will be upgradation of the existing flood lights.

DSYS has also completed the reconstruction of the swimming pools. Special emphasis has been laid for specially-abled people to travel to Kalinga Stadium for the match during the Hockey World Cup without facing any inconvenience in movement.

All the roads inside the complex will be widened and specific parking places would be developed. There will also be a `Fan Zone` which will have cafeteria, food court and souvenir centre. The entire stadium will boast of having a Wi-Fi network coverage to enable fans to stay connected and talk about Odisha Hockey World Cup online.

As many as 412 hotels in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Puri have been readied to accommodate players, staff and foreign fans. Besides 78 rooms of colleges, corporate guest houses and PSUs have been earmarked for accommodation purpose.

A traffic advisory will be issued well before the event so that people can make their plans. A foot overbridge near the stadium will also be constructed for an uninterrupted traffic flow and convenience of pedestrians.

The World Cup will be the third international hockey tournament to be held after Champions Trophy 2014 and Hockey World League Finals 2017. Earlier, Hockey India league matches and a series against Japan have also been hosted at Kalinga Stadium.
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PHOTO: Work in progress for replacement of synthetic turf at Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar on April 27, 2018.