SUNDARGARH, India – Every Sunday, Mahesh Beck plays field hockey on a dry patch of land near his village in eastern India. Yet he had not heard of the men’s hockey World Cup happening in his state, or that a new multi-million-rupee pitch had been built 30 km (19 miles) away.

The field in Hemgir in Odisha state – which is hosting the 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup this month – is one of 16 new pitches and a 20,000-capacity stadium funded with cash allocated to improve the lives of local communities impacted by mining. Read More