Lausanne: The four Pools of the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela have been revealed by the International Hockey Federation at draw ceremony held here on Thursday.
The draw proceedings were conducted by FIH CEO Thierry Weil.
As announced earlier. India, Australia, Belgium and Netherlands were placed on the first row of their corresponding Pools based on the FIH World Rankings as per 1 June 2022. Host India is drawn in Pool D alongside England, Sian and Wales.
Pool A is headed up by current world number one Australia, who got the bronze medal at the last World Cup in 2018. They will play 2016 Olympic Champions Argentina (WR:7), France (WR:11), playing their fourth World Cup, and African Champions South Africa (WR:14).
In Pool B, reigning World Champions Belgium (WR:2) are the top seed and they were drawn to face 2002 and 2006 World Champions Germany (WR:4). Both European teams will face two representatives from Asia, namely Korea (WR:12) and Japan (WR:17).
Pool C will feature the finalists from the last edition, the Netherlands (WR:3), at the head of the group. They will come up against the other Oceania’s representative New Zealand (WR:9), Malaysia (WR:10), playing their ninth World Cup, and newcomers Chile (WR:23), participating for the very first time in a FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup.
In Pool D, hosts India are the highest ranked side (WR:5). They will face England (WR:6), which they’ve recently met at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022 for a thrilling encounter (4-4), two-time silver medallists (1971, 1998) Spain (WR:8) and Wales (WR: 16), who, like Chile, will play their maiden World Cup.
As already announced, India, Australia, Belgium and Netherlands were placed on the first row of their corresponding Pools based on the FIH World Rankings as per 1 June 2022.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and FIH Acting President Seif Ahmed as well as Tusharkanti Behera, Minister – Sports & Youth Services, Odisha attended the draw ceremony.
Hockey India CoA members S Y Quraishi, Zafar Iqbal alongwith Dilip Tirkey, Chairman, Hockey Promotion Council of Odisha, Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, IAS, Chief Secretary & Chief Development Commissioner, Odisha, V K Pandian, IAS, Secretary to Chief Minister, R Vineel Krishna, IAS, Commissioner cum Secretary, Department of Sports & Youth Services, Odisha, amongst other personalities present during the ceremony.
We are always very proud to welcoming the best hockey teams and players of the world for such an outstanding event. This time, the appetite is even bigger since, on top of our magnificent Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar – where so many wonderful sports stories have already been written – we are inviting the world to a brand-new arena, namely the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. This new stadium is a further testimony of our strong commitment towards hockey,” said Patnaik.
The tournament will be held from January 13 to 29, 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Pools:
Pool A: Australia, Argentina, France, South Africa
Pool B: Belgium, Germany, Korea, Japan
Pool C: Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile
Pool D: India, England, Spain, Wales
