Madurai (Tamil Nadu) [India], November 23 (ANI): Thiru J Meghanatha Reddy, the member secretary of the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, expressed hope that hosting of the FIH Junior Men's Hockey World Cup would go down as 'one of the biggest milestones' in Madurai's history and also spoke on how upgradation of facility here took place ahead of the tournament starting from November 28 onwards.

As Tamil Nadu prepares to host the Junior Men's Hockey World Cup, the TN government on Saturday inaugurated the Madurai International Hockey Stadium, a newly built world-class facility at the Race Course Complex. The arena was built to Olympic standards and features top-class infrastructure, aiming to advance hockey development in South India.

Speaking to ANI, Reddy said, 'It is a huge achievement for us and something we take great pride in (to host the World Cup). The foundation for this was laid in 2023, when we successfully hosted the Men's Asian Hockey Champions Trophy. It was conducted on a grand scale, and the international federation was impressed with our arrangements, especially the hospitality.'

'After that, we were like, why not host something much bigger, and that is how the idea of hosting the Junior Men's Hockey WC came. We were immediately prepared to take on the challenge,' he added.

Reddy said that the next challenge was to identify two venues to host the tournament. Chennai was already an option, but for the second venue, Madurai was chosen. It had an existing hockey pitch which needed upgradation and had a 'rich hockey legacy'.

'Of course, there were challenges. We had to build an entirely new pavilion -- there was none earlier -- and upgrade the pitch and lighting to global standards, with the support and encouragement of the Chief Minister (MK Stalin) and the Deputy Chief Minister (Udhayanidhi Stalin). We completed the work in record time and secured funding quickly. We raced against time to deliver one of the finest stadiums in the country, with world-class lounges and excellent facilities for spectators,' he continued.

'The permanent seating capacity is around 500, and an additional 1,500 temporary seats have been created, allowing 2,000 spectators to enjoy the matches at any given time from November 28 to December 10,' he added.

The city will host three pools of the tournament's 24 competing nations, including India, with matches taking place from November 28 to December 10. In total, 72 games will be played across Chennai and Madurai during the tournament. (ANI)

'All preparations have been completed, and the remaining requirements are being attended to swiftly. We are ensuring comprehensive arrangements for spectators, from comfortable seating -- which looks almost permanent -- to drinking water facilities and sanitation. We are confident that this event will become one of the most significant milestones in Madurai's sporting history,' he concluded. (ANI)