Around 5 pm on Sunday, while Virat Kohli was approaching his 49th century in ODIs at Eden Gardens in Kolkata, millions of people were watching the World Cup on the official streaming platform. One group of viewers was seated at a tea stall about a kilometer away from the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh AstroTurf Hockey Stadium in Ranchi. These three young men had arrived at the stadium around 2 pm for the Jharkhand Women’s Asian Champions Trophy final scheduled for 8:30 pm later that day. However, seeing the long queue that had formed six and a half hours before the match, they decided to watch the cricket match while waiting. They still had a few hours to kill before India took on Japan in the title clash.
Near the tea stall, there was a massive queue of people trying to get through Gate No 4, which extended for at least a kilometer. On the other side, outside Gate No 3, there was a massive crowd being informed through speakers by security that the doors were closed. To the disappointment of the thousands waiting, the announcement read, “Gate band ho gaya hai, please sabhi log Morabadi ground mein jaaiye aur match dekhiye.” The hockey stadium redirected the fans to an open ground. Inside the stadium, the stands that were open to the public were already packed one hour before the third-place match between China and Japan.
Around 7 pm, the open ground started filling up with people watching the hockey match on 10 mega screens with commentary speakers. However, the crowd outside the venue gates had not yet dissipated. A tired security official had informed thousands that there were no available seats inside, but the crowd had only slightly diminished. They still waited with hope, trying to get passes for the non-free seating area.
The atmosphere was a source of happiness for Dilip Tirkey, the Hockey India president and former national captain. He remarked on the significant crowd even where the giant screens were set up. He emphasized the need to think about promoting and developing the game in Jharkhand, as it was a little sad that there were as many people outside as there were inside the stadium. The capacity of the stadium is over 10,000, and it seemed that more people were turned away than could be accommodated.
Even an hour before India’s final match, a crowd still stood outside the venue. Approximately 100 people gathered just outside Gate No 3, watching through the grills on the wall to catch a glimpse of a small section of the ground. Some even stood on top of a small wall for a better view. Throughout the tournament, the stadium in Ranchi was always full, but on Sunday, the passion for hockey reached new heights.
Unfortunately, there were some unpleasant scenes at one of the stadium gates. The kickoff was delayed by 50 minutes due to a floodlight failure, but many hundreds of people still waited outside, hoping to get in. As the pressure on the gates grew, security personnel had to use force to disperse the crowd. Eventually, an announcement was made for those waiting to go to the open ground to watch the match on the big screens. The tournament ended with a dramatic finish, not only on the field but also outside the Astro Turf.