The Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said that the history of hockey in Odisha and the hosting of the Hockey World Cup twice in the state will be included in the NCERT textbooks. The minister said this while addressing the media after attending an all-party meeting.
Further, the Minister suggested that the art, heritage and tradition of Odisha should be branded at the highest level through the Men's Hockey World Cup to be held in Odisha from January 13-29, 2023. Meanwhile, the hocket tournament will be held in two venues — Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium and Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela.
Appreciating the state government's decision to invite all schools and colleges of the country for the Hockey World Cup, the minister said, "We should work together to ensure that as many as 100 Olympians emerge from Odisha by 2036 when the state observes its 100th foundation day." Further, "This time 7 players from Odisha went to play in the Olympics," he said.
The minister also announced that in 2036, when the state observes its 100th Foundation Day, there is a possibility that the Olympics will be held in India that year. As this edition is the 15th one of the Men's Hockey World Cup, India hosts the mega tournament for the second time, with the first one being in 2018 which was clinched by Belgium, as stated in a report by PTI.
