Preparations are in full swing for staging of the World Hockey league final matches in Rajnandgaon and Raipur. The matches will be played from November 27 to December 6 this year.
A meeting of the Organising Committee was held at the International Stadium conference hall on Thursday.
Divisional Commissioner Ashok Agrawal, Collector Thakur Ram Singh, Superintendent of Police Badri Narayan Meena and a number of senior officials of Hockey, Raipur Municipal Corporation Commissioner Saransh Mittar were present at the meeting.
Commissioner of Raipur-Durg Division Ashok Agrawal said that apart from India, teams from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Great Britain and Netherlands will participate in the tournament.
He directed the Culture Department officers to showcase the culture and religious traditions during the World league Final matches. Nodal officers should be appointed as soon as possible.
Agrawal took a first-hand account of the facilities to be provided to the players and spectators from the concerned officers. The foreign players will also tour tourists' spots and various schools also.
He instructed for providing drinking water facilities, lighting, fire brigade, security and parking facilities, barricading, stage construction, preparing pitches, electric supply, medical and doctors' availability and publicity of the matches.
This will be the first International Hockey event to be staged in Chhattisgarh.
The Hockey World league Final will be an extremely exciting event with all eight teams qualified for 2016 Olympics. This will be one of the last opportunities to test themselves against one another in international competition before they head out for Rio for the Games later next year, FIH President leandro Negre had stated on his visit to Raipur recently.
He had stated that 'India has a strong connection with Hockey and FIH is delighted to be taking the showcase competition to the city that has shown a great desire to host International hockey tournaments.
We have no doubt that the local organizers and the people of Raipur will put on a fantastic event for athletes, spectators and TV viewers around the world, Negre said.
Chief Minister Raman Singh had stated that it is a proud moment for the people of Chhattisgarh. When we started work on the stadium the aim was to make a world class stadium, he had stated.
I welcome hockey fans from across the world and invite them to come and witness the exhilarating hockey set to be witnessed here in the month of November and December, Chief Minister Raman Singh had stated.
Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra, President of Hockey India said it is a great news for the hockey fraternity. This will be a huge motivation not only for Hockey India but also for the officials of Raipur Stadium.
Meanwhile the Chhattisgarh Government in July this year had approved Rs 8.33 crore for construction of a practice pitch at the International Hockey Stadium in Raipur and provision of acoustic system and air-conditioners at the Indoor Stadium of State Sports Training Centre in Bilaspur , officials stated.
A sum of Rs 1.95 crore have been sanctioned for Indoor Stadium of Tehsil Headquarters Sarangarh, renovation of Mini Stadium in Khairagarh and Mini Stadium construction in Kurud, Bhakhara, and Sahaspur-lohara.
The State Government has made provisions for aforementioned works in first supplementary budget of current financial year 2015-16.