Pakistan could push India to the second spot in Pool A if they beat Japan in their last group match by more than 14 goals.
The 24-member team, announced on Monday, features goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak. He returns to the squad after missing the home matches due to his wedding.
Ahead of India’s crucial crossover match against New Zealand on Sunday, Hockey India in a statement announced the replacement of midfielder Hardik who sustained the during India’s match against England on January 15.
The other venue for the ongoing World Cup, Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, has no matches scheduled for today.
The Savita Punia-led side will play four matches against hosts South Africa in Cape Town before locking horns with the Dutch side in three matches from January 23.
Hockey World Cup 2023 Schedule: The match will be played at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, which will also host the championship tournament. There are 16 teams competing in the Hockey World Cup.
India has only won the continental championship once, in 1975, and will want to change their luck as hosts this season.
Hockey Haryana will face the Hockey Association Of Odisha in the first Semi-Final, while Hockey Jharkhand will take on Hockey Madhya Pradesh in the second Semi-Final, as per Hockey India (HI).
The Indian team grouped in pool D along with England, Spain and Wales will begin their campaign on 13th January 2023 in the newly built Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.
India won their only World Cup in 1975 at Kuala Lumpur. Being the hosts, the upcoming edition in January next year provides a great opportunity to India to finish on the podium.
In the regulation time, both teams were locked 1-1 after India bounced back through Udita’s 45th minute penalty corner conversion to cancel out Naomi Carrol’s 13th minute strike.
The Savita Punia-led team has been unbeaten in the tournament so far with wins over Chile (3-1), Japan (2-1) and South Africa (2-0) to top Pool B.
The World Cup will be played in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29 with 16 teams vying for the trophy. India are clubbed in Pool D with Wales, Spain, England.
With three straight wins, India are placed on top of pool B with nine points and will play the semifinal against Ireland. In pool A, hosts Spain lead the points table after two wins and a draw, as per a press release from Hockey India.
In their opening match on Sunday, India defeated Chile 3-1. With two back-to-back wins, India is placed on top of pool B with six points while in pool A, hosts Spain lead the points table after two successive wins.
A veteran of two Olympic Games, Singh is quite impressed with the Indian men’s hockey team’s performances in the recent past.
Wishing the trophy tour a grand success, Patnaik said it will be a memorable world cup for the teams and the fans.
Besides, HI also announced Rs one lakh for the support staff of the team.
Khunti, about 40 kilometres from Ranchi, has earned the distinction of being the state’s hockey nursery, producing a dozen international women players, including Nikki Pradhan, known for her outstanding performance in the Tokyo Olympics.
India are set to host the men’s hockey World Cup for the second consecutive time in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29 next year.
Vandana, a veteran of over 250 internationals matches, said by virtue of improved performances in tournaments of late, the world is now taking note of Indian women’s hockey.
The Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 will take place at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar and at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela from January 13 to 29, 2023.
Sreejesh, who has been nominated for the FIH Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year Award 2021-22, credited collective team effort for his nomination for the award.
Tirkey was elected after Uttar Pradesh Hockey chief Rakesh Katyal and Hockey Jharkhand’s Bhola Nath Singh, who were in the fray for the president’s post, withdrew their nominations on Friday.
In his upcoming book ‘Will Power – The Inside Story of the Incredible Turnaround in Indian Women’s Hockey’, Marijne wrote that senior pro Manpreet asked a player ”to stop playing well” so that his friends could get in the team.
