The country is gearing up to host one of the biggest sporting events of the world – Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018, which will be declared open on November 27, Tuesday. Being held in Bhubaneshwar, Odisha, the event’s opening ceremony is going to be as grand as one can imagine.
The top stars and musicians of India such as Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit Nene and AR Rahman are going to lit up the opening night with their performances, confirmed Odisha Sports Secretary Vishal Dev to PTI.
Madhuri will be performing with 1,000 artistes in a dance drama called ‘The Earth Song’, the theme of which is oneness of humanity, added Vishal.
Shah Rukh, who has been playing a key role in promoting Hockey World Cup, will land in Odisha on Tuesday and leave immediately after his show.
Other popular Odia actors such as Sabyasachi Mishra and Archita Sahu are also going to enthrall the audience with their dance moves.
Legendary music composer AR Rahman is reportedly going to perform in both inaugural ceremonies taking place is Bhubaneshwar and Cuttack on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively.
To add to the glitz and fervour of the event, actor Salman Khan is apparently going to perform on Wednesday in Cuttack.
An official has confirmed there will be heavy police security at the event. “In total, we have deployed more than 300 police officers on duty. As many as 75 platoons (one platoon comprises 30 personel) of the police will be on duty,” he added.
There are 16 teams participating in the mega event, who will play in four pools starting from November 28 till December 16.
Info about Hockey Men’s World Cup 2018 Opening Ceremony:
Date: November 27
Time: 5:30 PM IST
Venue: Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar, Odisha
TV Guide: Star Sports Network, Doordarshan
Live Streaming: International Hockey Federation (FIH) official YouTube Channel, Hotstar