Sports

Hockey World Cup 2023: India to face Spain on January 13

Hosts India will start their campaign against Spain in Rourkela on January 13 with European giants England, Spain and Wales in Pool D in the FIH Odisha Hockey World Cup 2023. 1975 winners India will take on Spain in a prime-time match at the newly built Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium at 7 pm. The competition will begin on the first day with a match between 2016 Olympic gold medalists Argentina and South Africa at the Kalinga Stadium at 1 pm. The second match of the day will also be played in Bhubaneswar, in which world No. 1 Australia will take on France.

The opening match between England and Wales will be held at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. India and Spain will compete in the last match of the day. Tokyo Olympic bronze medalists India, England, Spain and Wales are in Pool D. According to the draw held on 8 September, the 16 teams are divided into four groups. Australia, Argentina, France and South Africa will be in Pool A. Pool B consists of Belgium, Germany, Korea and Japan, while Pool C consists of Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia and Chile.

Defending champions Belgium will begin their campaign against South Korea on January 14 at 5 pm, while former champions Netherlands will take on the same day at 3 pm, with all teams playing matches at both venues. In all, 44 matches will be played, with the final on January 29 (7 pm local time) in Bhubaneswar.

World fifth-ranked India will take on eighth-placed Spain, which has made considerable progress last year under former Dutch coach Max Caldas. They will take on world number six England in their second match at the same venue in Rourkela on 15 January. The Graham Reid-coached team will complete their Pool D campaign against Wales on January 19 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

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