Bhubaneswar: The draw ceremony for FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup scheduled to be held in January, 2023 was completed on Thursday at Lokseva Bhawan Convention Center in presence of Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, acting president of FIH Seif Ahmed and officials from Hockey India. The draw proceedings were conducted by FIH CEO Thierry Weil.
As many as 16 teams will be playing under four pools in the tournament scheduled in January, 2023
Notably, Hockey India and its partner Odisha will hold the mega event, FIH Hockey World cup next year. The matches will be played in two venues in Odisha Capital Bhubaneswar and in Rourkela, where the country’s largest stadium is being constructed.
Odisha is gearing up to host the Men’s Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29 in 2023.
International Hockey Federation on Thursday revealed the list slotting qualified teams into four pools for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar-Rourkela 2023 during the Draw Ceremony at the Convention Centre, Lok Seva Bhawan.
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.
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.
Speaking on the Occasion Odisha Chief Minister Naveen patnaik said 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. Congratulations and best wishes to all teams!”
FIH Acting President Seif Ahmed said: “We can’t wait to see the best teams in the world in action in the new “jewel” of hockey, the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, which, alongside the iconic Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar, will play host to the 2023 FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup. I wish to renew our sincerest thanks to Hockey India and to the State of Odisha for hosting the 15th edition of this World Cup. With their commitment, experience and passion, you can expect nothing else but an amazing event coming our way in 4 months time! I wish already the very best of luck to all participating teams and officials, and invite all fans to tune in early next year: an unforgettable hockey show is awaiting you!”
