Why states other than Odisha haven't hosted international hockey in a long time
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Jaspreet Sahni
(Twitter Photo)
NEW DELHI: When the 2014 hockey Champions Trophy was hosted in the Odisha capital of Bhubaneswar, the Kalinga Stadium was a sight to behold. Beelines for tickets at the box office outside th e stadium and not a place to even stand inside during India matches was something hockey stadia across India hadn't witnessed for a long time, with the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow perhaps being the only exceptions. It was Odisha's handshake with Indian hockey, a long one, that only grew stronger over the ensuing years -- to the point that the state bought Hockey India League franchise Kalinga Lancers and then did the unthinkable by sponsoring the Indian men's and women's teams.