Hockey World Cup 2023: India have been drawn alongside England, Spain and Wales in Pool D of the World Cup. It is a tricky draw for India against three strong nations in the competition. The draw, which took place in Bhubaneshwar on Thursday, comprised of 16 nations being drawn into four different pools. The competition is set to be hosted by India from 13-29 January 2023 in the state of Odisha. Follow Hockey World Cup 2023 live updates with InsideSport.IN
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It is one of the biggest events in the world hockey next year. World Cup 2023 is set to take place at two venues in the state – Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar and Bisra Munda Stadium in Rourkela. Though the draw has been made, the schedule is only expected to be announced next week.
The DRAW is set in stone, and we will have England, Spain, and Wales as our companion in Pool D for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela.
Share your thoughts on the draw. 👇 pic.twitter.com/lijw7zVhmq
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) September 8, 2022
Four different pool
A: Australia, Argentina, France and South Africa
B: Belgium, Germany, South Korea and Japan
C: Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia and Chile
D: India, England, Spain and Wales
Among the 16 teams in the competition, four of them had attained a direct entry into four different pools for the showcase event via their rankings. They are Australia (1), Belgium (2), The Netherlands (3) and India (5) as the hosts of the competition as well.
One look at the four teams suggest some mega matches in the group stages. For instance,, the clash between Argentina and Australia in Group A will top notch. The same can be said for the Belgium and Germany clashes.
But with the kind of competition and teams in the World Cup, no matches will be easy for any of the teams. Even for India, their group is very tricky. But with the team playing under home conditions, they are expected to deliver in front of their home fans.
With teams like England and Spain in their group, the two teams are going to be the biggest challenge for India. As a result, their direct entry into the quarterfinals will not be easy.
The format is interesting with the winner of all the polls making it for the last eight stage directly. Those teams, which finish in second and third will be involved in a crossover to determine the other four teams in the quarterfinal stage.
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