Odisha - World Cup Hockey follower's experience

First up, what's with this sport of Hockey? Twenty two players chasing a pimpled ball on carpeted artificial turf,  to pump that ball past a heavily padded Goalie onto the back of a net?  Or a sport that perpetuates nostalgia on a dwindling set of  Hockey-mad partisan fans in India, who can't but reminisce about the 'good old days' when India / Pakistan dominated the sport worldwide?

Or, in an arguable viewpoint, one of the fastest sports to be played and with the toughest umpiring rules? Or a team sport that can expose the weakest links or  the strongest team member pretty quickly?

In India, we had/have several 'pockets' of prominence in Hockey. Punjab/Haryana & extending into Delhi; Kodagu, Bangalore; the typical tribal dominated regions in Odisha and Mumbai to name a few. And over the past several years, Odisha have taken upon themselves to back this sport unquestionably.

It is well documented as to how the current Odisha dispensation has not only sponsored the Indian Team for several years but has created world class infrastructure in at least two Cities. They have recently announced the intent to set up artifical turf pitches at many more districts in Odisha. I can only imagine the gleaming hope in the eye of many a Odiya school going kid who aspires to play this sport, when they see or access these fantastic stadia. This unflinching dedication to hockey needs to percolate to other parts of India in some measure.

My wife and I landed in Bhubaneswar on Sunday to watch our third Hockey World Cup, the second in this beautiful and welcoming City.  Though the modest Airport has done its bit with some welcoming posters and a replica of the World Cup, the real experience starts once you hit the City. Bhubaneshwar is all lit up and very very welcoming. Generally speaking, a City with ultra wide roads, mild mannered citizens, a land of temples, deep History and  aspiring to be the next big Urban thing in the Country.  The average Citizen here is generally appreciative of Hockey, may not necessarily be knowledgible but is distinctly supportive of the game. It is not uncommon to see the appreciative response in their eye when you announce at the restaurant, to an autowallah, policeman or to the shopkeepers as to why you are there. 

I have been only to the Kalinga Stadium complex at Bhubaneswar, but going by video I have seen,  the Birsa Munda stadium at Rourkela seems to be a step up from Kalinga (minus the badly required overhead cover at both stadiums). On a  walkabout of the Kalinga stadium, you can see impressive track & field, Football, shooting ranges, swimming pools &  high performance centres. In contrast, I can think of one dilapated Kanteerava stadium complex back home in Bengaluru, which is more often than not hosting realty/travel exhibitions or the odd ISL/Badminton league matches with no visible intent to modernize the facilities to world class levels.

The rules of stadium entry are reasonably clear. No sharp objects, backpacks, bags, pens, coins, cameras (why though ???) and other usual inflammable and dangerous thingies. I have never seen such a polite detection of coins in your wallet at the metal detector only to be guided to a nearby table where they put away your coins (even as low as 1 Rupee) into an individual sealed bag marked with your ticket number, serialized in a log book and returnable when you exit the stadium! So too was a pen that was in my spectacle case; it was politely held on to and returned to me when I left the stadium, a good 7 hours later!  While I question what harm a plastic pen would have done, the point to note is the attention to detail and the respect.  I did see some exceptions with some folks waltzing in with backpacks, but they seem to be in the minority or possibly have come through the VIP entry points. 

Policemen & Women in sporting uniforms and not in their Service uniforms only add to the attention to detail and the support of the sport where the spectator is not inflicted with mindless intimidation.  They even usher you to your designated seat while maintaining a stoic and eagle eye on all spectators, many a time with their backs to the pitch.

Ticket rates to the overall event are very reasonable.  The viewing angles are also quite good with not much of interference due to the row ahead of you except if some spectators or the few vendors stand continuously in front of you. I have sat at different stands in the stadium and you don't miss much from being seated in any of the stands. 

While the ticketing could have had season ticket as well as block date booking options, the Paytm Insider process was fairly simple. A family of greater than two would have a frustrating experience as the max limits per booking was only two.  I am still looking for a day when truly electronic ticketing entry is accepted at the gates instead of having to 'swap' a printed ticket at an offsite location. 

In contrast, most Cricket stadium entries in India display a lot of disdain to the spectator. You are at the mercy of some empowered event organizer or security personnel who disrespects you and makes you feel worthless. Or blame it on ourselves as spectators who don't seem to mind the obscene ticket rates to international or IPL Cricket events. I don't detest one sport over the other but hate the ripping off by Federations & Boards at our expense. At Kalinga, the limited range of refreshments aren't overboard or unaffordable. 

Spectators here in Bhubaneshwar are a knowledgeable lot.  It is not uncommon to hear spectators sharing  info about the game with someone else who is not so familiar with the sport. Yesterday, at the cross over matches, the stadium that was looking half empty 15  minutes leading to the India game, was filled to the brim minutes before the start, with every Indian attack being cheered lustily. India had a horror show (more on that for another time) last night but a goodly crowd stayed well after the match ended to cheer the New Zealand team as they walked around the pitch. And so too for the few Indian players who decided to show up after licking their wounds.  There wasn't any hooliganism or overt negative emotions or booing that happened, though most were heartbroken and didn't quite fathom why India never really arrived at this edition of the World Cup, after a reasonably stellar  show of spine at the last Olympics. The ticketed counters have declared a housefull note for all the remaining knockout games though it remains to be seen if the stadium will be packed after India's exit. However, if past experiences are any indicator, a full house  is quite likely in this town.

The Fan park has done its bit with lighting, stalls, music and general hyping up of the sport. It's really gay and happening after the matches as everyone is soaking in the atmosphere. Many streets and thoroughfares are lit up with elegant handcrafted lanterns and buntings. The organisers have included some offsite events this time round with Bhubaneswar Fest events lined up to time with the World Cup. One  Auto driver warned us that the entire area is cordoned off for traffic in the evenings due to the rush.  And there are lots of short & medium travel /Tourist options to woo sports tourists like us to other culturally rich and nature spots of Odisha.

Understandably, hailing a cab or an auto after the game is a bit of a pain. Very few seem to be on the cab hailing apps and since distances aren't too much in Bhubaneswar, there are few autos/cabs who are willing to operate short fares of under 5 kms or so. We are yet to try the electric buses that ply on that route though. Have to figure that one out.

Overall, it has to be appreciated and acknowledged that the Odisha and the administration have done a stellar job supporting Hockey (amidst the usual politicking;  who knows if the current level of support will continue and if the sponsors will remain in the frame). Any sport needs this level of dedicated support from some corner, without overt commercialization.