Bhubaneswar: International Hockey Federation on Thursday held the Draw Ceremony of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar-Rourkela 2023 at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan, here.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, acting president of FIH Seif Ahmed and officials from Hockey India were present during the ceremony. Among others Tusharkanti Behera, Minister – Sports & Youth Services, Odisha, Dr S Y Quraishi, Member, CoA, Hockey India, Mr. Zafar Iqbal, Member, CoA, Hockey India, Dilip Tirkey, Chairman, Hockey Promotion Council of Odisha, Suresh Chandra Mahapatra, IAS, Chief Secretary & Chief Development Commissioner, Odisha, V K Pandian, IAS, Secretary to Hon’ble Chief Minister, R Vineel Krishna, IAS, Commissioner cum Secretary, Department of Sports & Youth Services, Odisha were present.
While Pool A is headed up by current FIH World Rankings (WR) number one Australia, reigning World Champions Belgium are the top seed in Pool B.
Australia will play 2016 Olympic Champions Argentina (WR:7), France (WR:11), playing their fourth World Cup, and African Champions South Africa (WR:14). Similarly, Belgium will 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. They will come up against 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 have recently met at the Commonwealth Games Birmingham 2022, two-time silver medallists (1971, 1998) Spain (WR:8) and Wales (WR: 16), who, like Chile, will play their maiden World Cup.
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.
FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar-Rourkela 2023 will begin on January 13, 2023 and continue till January 29. The Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the new Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela will host the matches.
