Hockey World Cup 2023: The Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup 2023 is just around the corner. It will be held at Bhubaneshwar’s Kalinga stadium and Rourkela’s Birsa Munda international hockey stadium in India. It will begin on January 13th and end on January 29th of the same year. This year, a total of 16 teams will compete, divided into four groups. Each of the four groups will have four teams.Hosts India is in Group D, alongside England, Spain, and Wales. This will be the tournament’s 15th edition, and it has a long history. So today we are going to divulge some of the lesser-known facts about the Men’s World Cup. Learn how it came to be an elite hockey tournament with the grandeur to rival the Olympics. Follow FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup updates on InsideSport.In
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023: TOP 10 lesser known FACTS about the Men’s Hockey World Cup that fans MUST KNOW: Check Details
1. Format and the changes over the years
The FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup began as a biennial event. The second World Cup after its inception in 1971 took place in 1973. The tournament was held for the first time in 1978, after a three-year hiatus. However, in 1982, the tournament was restructured to its current format. After many years, however, that continuity was broken when Hockey India won the bid to host the event in January 2023 rather than 2022. As a result, the FIH was forced to reschedule the event from 2022 to 2023.
2. How many teams make it to the World Cup?
The FIH has placed no restrictions or requirements on the size of the competition. The 1971 Cup featured only ten nations. It was the world’s smallest World Cup. 14 countries competed in the 1978 Cup. The 2002 and 2018 Cups each featured 16 nations. The remaining ten World Cups have included 12 countries. There have been discussions about increasing the number of teams to 24 for the World Cup in 2023. However, that will not be the case.
3. Which team has won most number of World Cups?
Pakistan currently holds the record for the most World Cup victories. They won the first edition in 1971, defeating Spain 1-0 in their opponent’s home city of Barcelona. Following that, Pakistan won consecutively in 1978 and 1982, defeating the Netherlands and West Germany, respectively. Their last World Cup win came in 1994 where they defeated the Dutch to win their fourth World Cup.
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023: TOP 10 lesser known FACTS about the Men’s Hockey World Cup that fans MUST KNOW: Check Details
4. Who proposed the idea of the World Cup?
Air Marshall Nur Khan of Pakistan proposed the World Cup to the FIH through Patrick Rowley, publisher of the World Hockey Magazine. Their proposal was accepted on October 26, 1969, and on April 12, 1970, the FIH Council adopted it during a meeting in Brussels. The FIH decided that Pakistan would host the first World Cup in October 1971.
5. Where was the inaugural tournament played?
Pakistan was slated to host the inaugural World Cup in 1971. That never happened. At the time of the Bangladesh Liberation War, India and Pakistan had just six years earlier engaged in a full-fledged conflict. Therefore, when Pakistan urged India to participate, the proposal was declined. Therefore, the FIH decided to switch the location in order to reduce tensions amid the political unrest. Then it was hosted in Barcelona, Spain, at the Real Club de Polo Grounds.
6. Who designed the Hockey World Cup trophy?
The trophy for the Hockey World Cup was made by Bashir Moojid. In the Pakistani Army, Moojid served as an air marshal. Mr. H. E. Masood, the Pakistani Ambassador to Belgium, officially presented the trophy to FIH President René Frank on March 27, 1971. The trophy consists of a silver cup with a detailed flower pattern on top, and a silver and gold globe of the world.
It is supported by a high-blade base and features ivory inlay. A replica hockey stick and ball can be seen at its apex.
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023: TOP 10 lesser known FACTS about the Men’s Hockey World Cup that fans MUST KNOW: Check Details
7. Pakistan are not participating in 2023 World Cup.
Pakistan was instrumental in organizing the inaugural Hockey World Cup. They even dominated the world of hockey for much of the previous few decades. However, things have changed dramatically since then. The Green Machine, once the heavyweights of the hockey world, are now struggling to qualify for Tier 1 competitions. Pakistan will not compete in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2023. Pakistan is also barred from competing in the FIH Men’s Pro League, which is comprised of the world’s best nine hockey-playing nations. They finished in last place in the recently concluded FIH Nations Cup 2022.
8. The Netherlands play hockey better than football
The Netherlands is well-known for its football teams. The country has a startling record of appearing in the most FIFA World Cup finals without ever winning one. In hockey, however, this is not the case for the Dutch. In their history, the Oranje have won the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup three times. Their last victory came in the 1998 FIH World Cup.
9. Which host nations have won the tournaments before?
Is it possible for India to win the Hockey World Cup? In history, the World Cup has been hosted by nine different countries. Only the Netherlands and Germany, however, have won it. Germany accomplished this feat in 2006 in Monchengladbach, thanks to a 54th-minute goal by Christopher Zeller. The goal helped the Honabas take a 4-3 lead and eventually win.
In fact, the Dutch were the first team to win as hosts in 1973. They defeated India in the tournament’s second edition in Amstelveen. Their next victory came in Utrecht in 1998. This time, they defeated Spain 3-2 in extra time.
10. Which continent has dominated the Hockey World Cups?
The European continent has the most World Cup medals in its collection. They have six titles to their credit. The Netherlands won three, Germany won two, and Belgium won one. The Red Lions were the most recent addition, having won the world cup in the previous edition in 2018.
Asia, which has five titles, comes in second. Three of these four titles are held by Pakistan and one by India. Oceania follows with three titles. All of those titles, ironically, are Australian. America and Africa have yet to establish accounts.
So will a new continental champion emerge this year? Or will Belgium manage to defend its crown? Regardless of the pattern, the World Cup will undoubtedly be fascinating. So start the games.
FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023: TOP 10 lesser known FACTS about the Men’s Hockey World Cup that fans MUST KNOW: Check Details
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