The Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar will host the Fifa U-17 Women’s World Cup with newly renovated seats, brand-new fields, and cutting-edge amenities.
The stadium will play host to five Group A matches in which Brazil, Morocco, the US, and India will compete against one another, as well as one Group B encounter between Nigeria and Chile.
Two matches and an opening ceremony will serve as the event’s opening ceremonies on Tuesday at the venue.
The stadium, including the entire stand, was upgraded and renovated for the competition, which will last till October 30, according to Odisha Sports Secretary Vineel Krishna.
It is yet another achievement for Odisha and the Kalinga complex, which will host the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup at one of the two locations in the state in 2019.
According to Krishna, who spoke to Media, “a main pitch and four practise grounds with natural grass have been set up according to the norms of the world football governing body Fifa.”
At the location, there are also two top-notch football training facilities: the Capital Football Arena and the Odisha Football Academy.
The stadium’s seats have been replaced with new ones, but the number of seats is still about 12,000, according to Krishna.
The lighting setup has been completely redone. The sports secretary claims that the field’s Bermuda grass was imported.
The creation of new functional areas. Additionally upgraded are the VIP boxes and dugouts. He estimated that the whole cost could be around Rs 90 crore and added that a large portion of the refurbishment has been completed in segments over the last two to three years.
Different types of fans are anticipated to enter through six gates. As part of the renovation effort, Krishna noted, the surroundings’ beautifying, wall painting, and cleaning were also undertaken.
The 1978 multifunctional facility contains areas for climbing, swimming, tennis, table tennis, basketball, football, hockey, and other sports. The stadium has played host to a number football competitions and serves as the home ground for Odisha FC of the Indian Super League.
The 2020 Fifa World Cup was originally scheduled to take place in India, but the coronavirus pandemic forced the change. According to a decision made by the international federation, the nation kept the hosting rights for the 2022 edition.
32 matches will be played over three venues—Bhubaneswar, Navi Mumbai, and Goa—as sixteen teams compete for the top prizes. The DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai will host the championship match.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed optimism on Friday that the teams would be able to adequately prepare for the matches after becoming “mesmerised” by the stadium’s amenities.
“Mesmerised seeing the beautiful Capital Football Arena in Bhubaneswar where our football stars will practice during the FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup. I am sure the world class facilities at the training centre will help the players prepare well for the mega event,” Patnaik tweeted.
“Training sites at the Odisha Football Academy in Bhubaneswar are ready for (the) FIFA U-17 Womens World Cup. I am sure the participating teams will love the world-class amenities here. Wish the teams all the best,” he added.
Prasanta Patnaik