Colosseum In Cradle: India's Largest Hockey Stadium In Sundargarh

Cranes lifting heavy material, dusty roads leading up to the site, people in safety jackets and helmets doing their work amid heaps of sand and cement lying scattered all over the place. There are ample signs that the construction of the country's largest hockey stadium is in full swing. Come January next year, the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Odisha's tribal-dominated Sundargarh district will be packed to the rafters during the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup.

As many as 20,000 supporters will be rooting for the Indian hockey team, which is riding high on the Tokyo Olympics success and will seek to not only better the quarterfinal finish in the 2018 edition in Bhubaneswar, but also win the showpiece event.

The work at the stadium on the outskirts of Rourkela city started in June last year and it is going on round the clock as officials battle to complete it within the deadline.

Normally, it takes around 18-24 months to build a stadium of this size.

As we inch closer to the Men's Hockey World Cup 2023, Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in #Rourkela is taking shape to celebrate the biggest festival of #hockey.We present you some exclusive shots of India's largest hockey stadium which will co-host the #HWC2023. pic.twitter.com/wyXURlUwLN

"But, we designed and planned it in such a way so that we can save time in engineering and the conventional construction part," Sports Department infrastructure consultant Swagat Singh said.

The executing agency of the 200-crore stadium is the Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Odisha and it has sublet the work to the Larsen and Toubro.

The 80-crore accommodation near the practice pitch is being done by another contractor and its deadline is October, the