Rourkela is a planned city located in the northern district Sundargarh of Odisha, India. It is the third-largest Urban Agglomeration in Odisha after Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. It is situated about 328 kilometres (204 mi) west of state capital Bhubaneswar and is surrounded by a range of hills and encircled by the rivers Koel, Sankha, & Brahmani. The city is also popularly known as Ispat Nagar and Steel City of Odisha as well. One of the largest integrated steel plants set up with German collaboration Known as Rourkela Steel Plant, of Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL). It also has one of the premier national level technical institute known as National Institutes of Technology (NIT Rourkela). Every year, on 3 March Rourkela Day has been celebrated.
Sundargarh is a town in Sundergarh district of the Indian state of Odisha. As of 2011 census, the municipality had a population of 45,036. Sundargarh is recognized as an industrial district in Odisha. Steel, fertilizer, cement, ferrovanadium, machine-building, glass, china-clay plants and factories, and spinning mills are some of the major industries of this district. Sundargarh occupies a prominent position in the mineral map of Odisha and is rich in iron ore, limestone, and manganese.
Field hockey in India refers to two teams, the India men's national field hockey team and the India women's national field hockey team.
Dilip Tirkey, is a former captain of the Indian field hockey team, politician and sports administrator. He was awarded Padma Shree in 2004. Currently he is the president of Hockey India.
Subhadra Pradhan is an Indian former field hockey player, who represented the India women's national field hockey team.
Binita Toppo is an Indian former field hockey player who played for the India women's field hockey team. She played with the team when it won the Gold at the 2004 Women's Hockey Asia Cup. Toppo is currently employed with Western Railways.
Padmini Rout is an Indian chess player. She holds the titles of International Master (IM) and Woman Grandmaster (WGM). She has won the National Women's Premier Championship five times, consecutively from 2014 to 2017 and again in 2023, and was the Asian women's champion in 2018.
Rani Rampal is an Indian field hockey player and coach. At the age of 15, she was the youngest player in the national team which participated in the 2010 World Cup. She has completed her schooling but was not able to get the graduate degree due to practice sessions and matches which were lined up. She plays forward on her team. She has played 212 international matches and scored 134 goals. She is currently the Captain for Indian Women's Hockey Team. She is also well known as a striker who often doubles up as mid-fielder. She has a great fascination with CWG. In 2020, the Government of India honoured her with the Padma Shri.
Sasmita Mallik is an Indian women's footballer who played as a left winger for India women's national football team. With 40 goals in 38 matches, she is the second highest all-time goalscorer for the Indian women's national team after Bala Devi.
The Odisha field hockey team represents Odisha in the national field hockey championships of Hockey India. Hockey Association of Odisha is the state member unit of Hockey India. The Odisha Hockey Team has maintained its dominance in field hockey in India being the most successful team of Hockey India Championships. Hockey Odisha has given India some of its best players including Anupa Barla, Binita Toppo, Birendra Lakra, Dilip Tirkey, Ignace Tirkey, Jyoti Sunita Kullu, Lazarus Barla, Prabodh Tirkey and Subhadra Pradhan. Odisha is now the capital of Indian hockey.
Sunita Lakra is an Indian field hockey player. Lakra has represented her country by being capped in the India women's national field hockey team. Lakra announced her retirement from hockey through Hockey India on 2 January 2020.
Deep Grace Ekka is an Indian former field hockey player, who represented the India national field hockey team. She has been selected for Arjun award in 2022.
Namita Toppo is an Indian former field hockey player. She hails from Sundargarh District of Odisha. On 27 December 2020, she was conferred with the 28th Eklavya award. Toppo was honoured for her performance from April 1, 2018 to March 31, 2020 at both national and international levels.
Lilima Minz is an Indian female field hockey player. Lilima hails from Bihabandh-Tanatoli village, Lanjiberna Block, Sundargarh District of Odisha. She is a product of Sports Hostel, Panposh, Rourkela, Odisha.
Jabamani Tudu is an Indian professional footballer who plays as a defender for Kickstart and the India women's national football team.
Amit Rohidas is an Indian field hockey player from Odisha. He plays as a defender for the Indian national team and is also the vice-captain of the team. He was a part of the Indian squad that won the bronze medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He also won gold medal in 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou.
Mariana Kujur is an Indian field hockey player and a member of the Indian women's hockey team. She plays for the Railway Sports Promotion Board in the domestic hockey tournaments. Kujur plays as a defender.
Sunelita Toppo is an Indian women's field hockey player from Odisha. She plays as a forward. She made her senior India debut at the FIH pro-league against China in Bhubaneswar on 3 February 2024.
Sneha Soren is a woman weightlifter from India. She won her first international medal at the 2017 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships held at Gold Coast, Australia, and she received a bronze medal at the 2023 National Games. Soren received the Ekalavya Award from the Government of Odisha.
Ajmina Kujur is an Indian field hockey player from Odisha. She plays as a midfielder. She plays for Indian Oil Corporation in the domestic tournaments and for the India hockey team in Hockey5s team.
