Vikrant Shekhawat : Jan 08, 2023, 06:04 PM
Hockey world cup 2023: Hockey World Cup 2023 will be organized in India from 13 January. This is the first time that the Men's Hockey World Cup will be hosted by a country twice in a row. The 2018 edition was hosted in Bhubaneswar, with Belgium winning their first title after defeating the Netherlands. The final match of this World Cup will be played on 29 January. A total of 16 teams are participating in this Hockey World Cup, which are divided into 4 pools. A total of 44 matches will be played during the World Cup. So let's see the schedule of this tournament-What is the complete schedule for Hockey World Cup 2023?13 JanuaryArgentina vs South Africa (Bhubaneswar) - 1:00 PMAustralia vs France (Bhubaneswar) - 3:00 pmEngland vs Wales (Rourkela) - 5:00 PMIndia vs Spain (Rourkela) - 7:00 PM14 JanuaryNew Zealand vs Chile (Rourkela) - 1:00 PMNetherlands vs Malaysia (Rourkela) - 3:00 PMBelgium vs Korea (Bhubaneswar) - 5:00 PMGermany vs Japan (Bhubaneswar) - 7:00 PM15 JanuarySpain vs Wales (Rourkela) - 5:00 PMEngland vs India (Rourkela) - 7:00 PM16 JanuaryMalaysia vs Chile (Rourkela) - 1:00 PMNew Zealand vs Netherlands (Rourkela) - 3:00 PMFrance vs South Africa (Bhubaneswar) - 5:00 PMArgentina vs Australia (Bhubaneswar) - 7:00 PM17 JanuaryKorea vs Japan (Bhubaneswar) - 5:00 PMGermany vs Belgium (Bhubaneswar) - 7:00 PM19 JanuaryMalaysia vs New Zealand (Bhubaneswar) - 1:00 PMNetherlands vs Chile (Bhubaneswar) - 3:00 PMSpain vs England (Bhubaneswar) - 5:00 PMIndia vs Wales (Bhubaneswar) - 7:00 PM20 JanuaryAustralia vs South Africa (Rourkela) - 1:00 PMFrance vs Argentina (Rourkela) - 3:00 PMBelgium vs Japan (Rourkela) - 5:00 PMKorea vs Germany (Rourkela) - 7:00 PM24 January1st Quarterfinal: Bhubaneswar - 4:30 PMQuarterfinal 2: Bhubaneswar - 7 pm25 JanuaryThird Quarter-final: Bhubaneswar - 4:30 PMFourth Quarter-final: Bhubaneswar - 7 PM26 JanuaryPlacement Match (for 9th to 16th place)27 January1st Semi-Final: Bhubaneswar - 4:30 PMSecond Semi-Final: Bhubaneswar - 7 PM29 JanuaryThird Place Match - 4:30 PMFinal Match - 7 PMThe tournament will begin on January 13, while the final match will be played on January 29. Four pools have been made in the World Cup, which are divided into A, B, C, D. India is in Pool D, which includes Wales, England and Spain along with India. The first match of the tournament will be played between Argentina and South Africa. While India's first match will be with Spain at Rourkela's stadium.16 of the best teams from around the world are gearing up for this mega event. In such a situation, the host India will be expected to continue the performance of Tokyo Olympics, Birmingham Commonwealth Games and complete the unfinished gold medal by winning the World Cup trophy here. To fulfill this expectation of not only the Indian hockey team but of the entire country, a few players will be the eyes of all. Whose names are as follows:-PR SreejeshVeteran Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has been instrumental in India's performances over the years. He was also voted FIH Goalkeeper of the Year in 2022. He has carved a niche for himself among the best goalkeepers in the world. He is considered a specialist in situations such as penalty shoot-outs. During the Tokyo Olympics, Sreejesh ended India's Olympic medal drought of four decades by saving a penalty corner in the last seconds of the bronze medal match against Germany. With an experience of over 240 international matches, this will be Sreejesh's last World Cup and the entire nation will be expecting him to end the journey with a title.Harmanpreet SinghIndian hockey team's star drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh is considered to be a key architect of the changing picture of Indian hockey in the last few years. He is seen as a penalty corner specialist. His powerful flicks as well as his world-class defense have earned him recognition. Harmanpreet was instrumental in India's historic bronze medal win at the Tokyo Olympics. He emerged as the country's top scorer in Tokyo with six goals. It was Harmanpreet who leveled India's score with Germany in the bronze medal match.Akashdeep SinghSince making his debut in 2012, Akashdeep Singh has been a consistent goal-scoring machine for India. Apart from Sreejesh and Harmanpreet, he is the only Indian player to have played more than 200 international matches. He also has more than 80 international goals to his credit. He is the most experienced forward player in the Indian lineup and the Indian forward line will depend on him. Akashdeep was India's top scorer in the 2014 Hague Hockey World Cup with 5 goals. He did not appear in the Tokyo Olympics due to poor form but in the five-match Test series against Australia in 2022, Akashdeep scored a hat-trick in India's 5-4 defeat in the opening match and scored the winning goal in the third match, which helped India become the world no. Helped break a 12-match losing streak against No. 1 team.Vivek Sagar PrasadVivek Sagar Prasad has been a very important player for the Indian hockey team in different roles. Midfielder Vivek was part of the bronze medal-winning squad at the Tokyo Olympics and led the U-21 team to a third-place finish in the seventh edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia. The player is gearing up for the World Cup as he returns to the team after missing out on the recent tour of Australia and the FIH Hockey Pro League due to a foot injury. Vivek can prove to be a major threat to the opposition with his defence-splitting passes.Manpreet SinghThe biggest credit for the changing picture of Indian hockey in the last few years goes to the captain of the team, Manpreet Singh. Under his leadership, the team ended the wait of four decades for an Olympic medal. Under his captaincy, the team won a medal in the Commonwealth Games. Under his captaincy, the team defeated the Kangaroo team on the tour of Australia after 12 consecutive defeats. Along with his leadership skills, his game has also proved to be very important for the Indian hockey team. Along with the four names you saw above in the upcoming World Cup, this fifth name is the most important link. These five players can change the tarnished picture of hockey in India.