Bhubaneswar, (IANS) | Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has bought the first ticket for the upcoming Intercontinental Cup 2023 football tournament, which will be played in Bhubaneswar from June 9 to 18. The four-nation tournament will feature India, Lebanon, Mongolia and Vanuatu.
Indian football team captain Sunil Chhetri handed over the first ticket for the main event to the chief minister in the presence of All India Football Federation (AIFF) general secretary Dr. Shaji Prabhakaran and Indian football team coach Igor Stimac.
After the success of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, the state is all set to host another international sports tournament.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, “There is a lot of love for football among the people of Odisha. It is another honor for us to host this spectacular event and it will undoubtedly thrill many football fans in the state and India. Best wishes to the teams and fans Encourage them to turn out in large numbers to watch high quality football.”
Odisha is also emerging as a major center for football. Odisha hosted FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2022, SAFF U-20 Championship 2022, matches during ISL season, IWL 2021-22 and Odisha Women’s League, thus giving a huge boost to the development of football ecosystem in the state got promoted. ,
In partnership with the AIFF, Bhubaneswar is also the base of the Indian Under-16 and Under-19 teams, often hosting camps and training sessions in state-of-the-art infrastructure.
The Intercontinental Cup begins on June 9, with Lebanon taking on Vanuatu, while the home team will take on Mongolia in their first match of the campaign.
