A state that was once known for its abject poverty and disastrous natural calamities as much for its culture and heritage is all set to showcase its economic transformation with the inauguration of the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup on Wednesday, the second successive time the tournament is being held in the city.

The Barabati Stadium in Cuttack, known for its world-class cricket infrastructure, will host the marquee event that will bring to the fore Odisha’s rich culture, tradition, and development in different spheres. And also highlight the role Odisha has played in reviving hockey over the past few years.

The matches will begin on Friday and will be played at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the newly built Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela.

Hosts India, which had made it to the quarter-finals in 2018, will face Spain in Rourkela on Friday. Reigning champions Belgium will take on South Korea in Bhubaneswar the next day. Wales are the debutants in this edition.

Politically, the 15th edition of the Cup is expected to further boost the stock of Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. Both Patnaik and the state’s image had gone global when Odisha had, for the first time, organised the Cup in 2018.

“Ahead of the World Cup in 2018, there was a frantic search for sponsors for the Indian team. It was Naveen Patnaik who had stepped up and announced support for hockey. The result is there for everyone to see. Both the men’s and women’s teams had entered the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics after nearly two decades. India men won the bronze. It was a stupendous achievement and the craze for hockey was revived,” Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey told The Telegraph.

A sculpture, also in the Odisha capital, depicts three hockey players pulling a globe. Ashwinee Pati

A former Indian captain, Tirkey said: “For hockey’s revival, Naveen worked on building infrastructure, organising world-class tournaments and creating confidence among the players that someone is backing them.”

All three cities — Bhubaneswar, Rourkela and Cuttack — have been decked up. Wall paintings on various subjects ranging from the state’s maritime history, its growth story, tribal art and folk dances adorn Bhubaneswar. Pictures of hockey players and other sports personalities also figure in the paintings. Replicas of the Cup have been installed at various places.

Subhash Chandra Singh, the mayor of Cuttack, told The Telegraph: “The Barabati Stadium is all set for the inauguration. We will also install big screens at important locations so that people can watch the ceremony. A number of Bollywood stars are likely to join the celebrations.”

In Rourkela, a 40-foot statue of a hockey player is drawing crowds. During the Cup, night markets will be opened for tourists from January 15- 30. An international food festival is also being organised in Bhubaneswar.

Odisha’s connection with hockey is quite old. Sundergarh is known as the “cradle of hockey” for having produced hockey legends, including Tirkey.

It will be the fourth men’s hockey World Cup to be held in India — after Mumbai (1982), New Delhi (2010) and Bhubaneswar (2018).