Bhubaneswar, Oct. 31 -- After the successful hosting of the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha is all geared up to organise the forthcoming Junior Men's Hockey World Cup 2021 next month. Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera spoke about the challenges to host the grand tournament amid the Covid-19 pandemic and other aspects of Odisha sports in a tete-a-tete with Odishatv.in. Excerpts...

Q: The Odisha government got very little time to host the Junior Hockey World Cup. How much prepared you are considering that it's pandemic time?

A: During the 2018 Men's World Cup Hockey, we got only six months to prepare and organise the high-voltage event successfully. The world recognised us and Odisha got a brand valu...