Hockey World Cup LIVE: The Hockey World Cup 2023 is set to kickstart on Friday, 13th January 2023. Hosts India will begin campaign at the tournament on Friday, January 13. The match will be played at the Birsa Munda Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha. The Men in Blue will face Spain in the opening group match. The match is scheduled to begin at 7 PM IST. Check All You need to know about India vs Spain. Follow Hockey World Cup 2023 News and LIVE updates on InsideSport.IN
Hockey World Cup LIVE: India set to kickstart Hockey World Cup campaign against Spain, Check Squads, Head-to-Head record, LIVE streaming, All You Need to know about India vs Spain in Hockey WC 2023
India is finally aiming to win a Hockey World Cup after four decades. Their only title in the event came in the year 1975. The team led by Harmanpreet Singh is looking to put the disappointment of 2018 behind. They have set the sights on the silverware in the 15th edition of the World Cup.
Their recent performances have added to the hopes of the nation. The Men in Blue clinched bronze medal in the 2021 edition of the Olympics and a similar performance is expected from the hosts. Anything lesser would be a big disappointment. The side is currently ranked 6th in the World rankings. They are also the highest-ranked Asian team. In the previous edition, the team finished at the sixth spot.
Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh, Goalkeeper Sreejesh will all be a vital cog for the team. They will have to rally the team from the front to add the elusive Hockey World Cup in their trophy cabinet after four decades.
Spain are ranked World No.8 in the FIH Rankings. The team from Europe is only one of the four teams to have featured in every edition of the World Cup so far. However a World Cup trophy has eluded them so far. They are aiming to end the drought in the upcoming edition.
Their recent record in multi-team tournaments is not looking great. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, they finished eighth. While, in the last edition of the World Cup, they finished at a lowly 13th spot. Their best performance in the World Cup so far are two runner-up finishes at 1971 and 1998 editions.
Spain has players like forwards Enrique Gonzalez and Joaquin Menini, whi can be a threat to the opponents in front of the goal. Their captain Marc Miralles, who is just 24 is also a skillful playmaker.
HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
Matches: 33 India won: 13: Spain Won: 13 Draw: 7
Both the teams last met in December 2022, when India toured Spain for three matches. Both the teams met three times and India failed to clinch a singles victory. Spain won two games while the other remaining fixture ended in a draw.
Earlier in 2022, they also met during the Pro League in October. While India won the first game via shootout, Spain clinched a 3-2 victory when both teams met a few days later.
GROUP
Both India and Spain are drafted in Group D along with England and Wales. According to format, a team that tops the group will directly advance to the quarterfinals. Teams finishing in the second or third place will need to play a cross-over contest in order to progress to the next round.
Only 2️⃣ days until the first World Cup game! 🏑#HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #HWC2023 #StarsBecomeLegends @CMO_Odisha @sports_odisha @IndiaSports @Media_SAI @FIH_Hockey pic.twitter.com/IBprU4dMbm
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) January 11, 2023
FIXTURES
India
| Match | Date | Time |
| India vs Spain | Jan 13, 2023 | 7 PM IST |
| England vs India | Jan 15, 2023 | 7 PM IST |
| India vs Wales | Jan 19, 2023 | 7 PM IST |
Spain
| Match | Date | Time |
| India vs Spain | Jan 13, 2023 | 7 PM IST |
| Spain vs Wales | Jan 15, 2023 | 5 PM IST |
| Spain vs England | Jan 19, 2023 | 5 PM IST |
SQUADS
India – PR Sreejesh (gk), Krishna Pathak(gk), Armanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Shar, Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh
Spain – Andreas Rafi, Alejandro Alonso, Cesar Curiel, Xavi Gispert, Borja Lacalle, Álvaro Iglesias, Ignacio Rodríguez, Enrique Gonzalez, Gerard Clapes, Andreas Rafi, Jordi Bonastre, Joaquin Menini, Mario Garin(gk), Marc Reyne, Marc Miralles (captain), Pepe Cunill, Marc Recasens, Pau Cunill, Marc Vizcaino.
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup: India vs Spain Live Streaming
All the matches of the FIH Hockey World Cup 2023 will be streamed live on Star Sports. Fans can also watch it on Disney+ Hotstar and on the watch hockey app.
Hockey World Cup LIVE: India set to kickstart Hockey World Cup campaign against Spain, Check Squads, Head-to-Head record, LIVE streaming, All You Need to know about India vs Spain in Hockey WC 2023
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