Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar is hosting the Intercontinental four-nation football tournament and the 62nd Inter State Athletics Championship simultaneously. Vineel Krishna, Odisha’s Sports and Youth Services Secretary, said that the stadium will continue to strive to host world-class events, prioritising the participation of the finest athletes from India and around the world.
Krishna stated that holding two championships at the same venue came with some challenges but they were confident enough to overcome them. The Intercontinental Cup starts at 4 p.m. while the athletics events begin in the morning and conclude by 1 p.m.
Krishna said that hosting multi-sport tournaments would raise Odisha’s profile as a potential host city for international sporting events. The stadium’s resources are excellent, and they are planning to hold multiple championships in the future at the same location to optimally utilize the entire stadium complex.
The Intercontinental Cup final will be contested by India and Lebanon on June 18. The Inter State Athletics Championship, which started on Thursday, will continue till June 19. Athletes from Sri Lanka and Maldives are also competing in the athletics event.
The vision for the future, according to Krishna, is to host multiple world-class championships at the Kalinga Stadium, welcoming top athletes from India and around the world. Odisha aims to establish itself as a leading destination for international sporting events by creating a world-class infrastructure in the state.
