Organization of a Major International Sporting Event in the Midst of Covid-19 Pandemic in Eastern India: An Observational Review Detailing Health and Safety Measures

Sports have been long neglected in our country both in terms of excelling in any sport and hosting events. Even if the country hosts, usually the opportunity goes to the capital city or other metros. Covid 19 pandemic had further compounded the stalemate over the last two years due to evidence against crowd events. But, Odisha state has taken everyone by surprise by hosting the World cup men’s hockey and the study is a basic descriptive observational showcase of health-related safety measures that were ascertained during the matches. The event not only let 3 cities in the state namely Bhubaneswar, Rourkela, and Cuttack get a makeover in terms of tourist destinations but also a fast track check was done on the safety preparations within the stadium. Tool used was a self-devised pre-tested checklist as per Event management standards and the results were that almost international standards were adhered to in terms of crowd management for parking, entry points, sitting arrangements, water, and toilets. Covid appropriate behavior was disregarded due to zero case reporting for over a year. Public was also satisfied with the preparedness and there was a renewed enthusiasm for sports for all age groups, which was a welcome sight after the restricted activity during Covid. The state has taken baby steps towards establishing itself on the Global map as a state that could take up Global sporting events effortlessly. It has added advantage of propagating the rich heritage and culture of the state as well as promoting sports among the public.