OdishaLIVE Bureau
As the curtains rolled down on Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, hockey fans witnessed one of India’s most cherished and celebrated sportsman Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar attending the Finals here at the Kalinga Stadium on Sunday, 16th December 2018.
Tendulkar, who amassed over 34000 runs in international cricket, has been the greatest cricketer the country has ever seen. Making a record six World Cup appearances, the Little Master is no stranger to the hype, expectations and buzz around a World Cup winning the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup in his hometown Mumbai.
The former Indian cricketer gave away Player of the Tournament award at the presentation ceremony after the Final of the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018 to Belgium’s Arthur Van Doren.
“Whatever I have experienced here today is truly magnificent and this wouldn’t have been possible without the support of state government and Hockey India. The atmosphere is incredible and I also want to thank all players for making this what it is,” said Tendulkar.
In the Final, Belgium beat the Netherlands in sudden death by eking out a 3-2 win in the penalty shoot-out to win their maiden World Cup. Earlier, Australia beat England 8-1 in the Bronze Medal match.
