But thereafter, it was one-way traffic with the home team, which featured around half-a-dozen junior and senior internationals, scoring in regular intervals. Shilanand scored another goal in the 15th minute, while captain Amit Rohidas, Manip Kerketta and Prasan Tirkey sounding the board once each. Rohidas was awarded as the man of the match.

The entertaining match, the first on the new blue-coloured synthetic turf, drew a sizeable crowd of around 5,000 spectators, among whom most were students of tribal school, Kalinga Institute of Social Sciences (KISS).

The series is being organised by Department of Sports & Youth Services, Government of Odisha as a build-up for the 14th Hockey Men’s World Cup, scheduled to be held at the same venue from November 28 to December 16, 2018. According to Sports Department Secretary Vishal Dev, the exhibition matches are an effort to provide international exposure to budding hockey players of Odisha.

The first match also witnessed the presence of presence of Olympic sprinter Ben Johnson. The Canadian star, who was banned for life for drug abuse, is now working as a crusader against drug in sports. He is in Odisha to speak at the Ekamra Sports Literary Festival, set to be held here on November 2 and 3. Also present in the match were hockey legends Dilip Tirkey, Dhanraj Pillay and Odisha Sports Minister Chandra Sarathi Behera.

TEAMS:

NEW SOUTH WALES INSTITUTE OF SPORTS: Kurt Lovett (Captain), Ashleigh Thomas, Dylan Martin, Hayden Dillon, Thomas Brown, Samuel Gray, Samuel Mudford, Jake Wigham, Ky Willott, Lain Carr, Rory Walker, Jack Pickering, Thomas Miotto, William Graf. Coach: Brent Livemore.

ODISHA: Amit Rohidas, Roshan Minz (Captain), Dipsan Tirkey, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Silanand Lakra, Ashish Topno, Deepak Kerketta, Gregory Xess, Krishna Tirkey, Manip Kerketta, Prasan Tirkey, Tikkei Kujur, Teofil Kujur, Sudhir Ekka, Suman Beck, Abhisek Lakra, Divya Kujur, Johnson Ekka, Pankaj Rajak (GK). Coach: Kalu Charan Chaudhury.
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TOP: Players and coach of Odisha team at Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
RIGHT: Odisha captain Amit Rohidas with the man of the match trophy in Bhubaneswar on Nov 1, 2018.