Karthikeyan Pandian, Secretary to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has been honoured by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) for his huge contribution for the promotion and development of hockey in Odisha.

The FIH in its 47th Congress on Saturday conferred the prestigious FIH Presidents Award to Pandian.

While Odisha organised the 14th Edition of Mens Hockey World Cup in 2018, the Hockey India and the Odisha Government are no w gearing up to host the 2023 Mens Hockey World Cup.

In 2023, India will host the competition for a record fourth time since its inception in 1971. The tournament is slated to be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29, 2023.

All the matches of the 14th World Cup were held at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar.