The Hockey World Cup is one of the most prestigious international field hockey competitions, and the 2024 edition promises to be one of the most exciting yet. The tournament, organized by the International Hockey Federation (FIH), will bring together the best national teams from around the world as they compete for the world champion title.
The 2024 Hockey World Cup will be the 16th edition of the tournament and is scheduled to take place from 13th January to 29th January 2023. Four teams in pools of four will battle it out for the championship.
The tournament will be held in India in the state of Odisha. India has a rich history and culture of field hockey. It is India’s national sport. India has hosted the tournament twice before in 1982 and 2010.
A total of 16 teams will participate in the tournament, with each team aiming to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. From there, the competition will only get tougher as teams fight for a place in the semifinals and ultimately, the final.
The reigning world champions are Belgium, who won the 2018 edition of the tournament. Other teams to watch out for include the Netherlands, Germany, Australia, and Argentina, who are all consistently strong performers on the international stage.
The tournament will be a showcase of the best field hockey players in the world, and fans can expect to see the skillful play, thrilling goals, and exciting matches throughout the tournament. The Hockey World Cup is also an opportunity for the host nation to promote the sport and inspire the next generation of field hockey players.
44 matches will be played in total and the final is scheduled for 29th January in Bhubaneshwar.
The teams in the four pools are classified as follows:
Group A: Australia, Argentina, France, South Africa
Group B: Belgium, Germany, Korea, Japan
Group C: Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile
Group D: India, England, Spain, Wales
Teams like Chile, and Wales have qualified for the World Cup for the first time. 2018 World Cup winners Belgium start off as favorites for this season.
India’s opening encounter with Spain:
The Indian team will begin its World Cup campaign against Spain in Rourkela. The newly built Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium is all set to host this mouthwatering contest on January 13th.
India and Spain are both competitive teams in the sport of field hockey. They have competed against each other in several international tournaments, including the Olympics and the Hockey World Cup. In recent years, both teams have performed well on the international stage, with Spain winning the silver medal at the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup, and India winning the bronze medal at the 2020 Men’s Hockey Pro League. Both teams have a history of intense and closely contested matches, and their encounters are usually considered to be high-profile and exciting matches for fans of the sport.
India is currently placed 5th in the hockey rankings. Amongst the four-team pool, Pool D, and Graham Reid-coached sides are the top most ranked side. Spain on the other hand is ranked eighth in the world. Head-to-Head record shows India has a slightly upper hand by a narrow margin of 2 games. India has won 13 in the total of 30 games played against Spain while Spain has won 11 and 6 games have ended in a draw.
The Indian team has a mixture of experienced and youth in relatively every department. For experienced players like Manpreet Singh, Akashdeep Singh, and Harmanpreet Singh it would not be easy to keep up with the fast, pacy youngsters in Spain. It will be an interesting clash. Spain on the other hand has champion players like Alvaro Iglesias and Jaquain Manini. Max Caladas their coach, knows the Indian team very well and it won’t be that easy a game for the hosts.
India has always been that kind of side that usually starts slow and then picks up momentum. They have to start with a lot of fire to win the match against a relatively young side Spain. The crowd support is expected to come in handy with the stadium already being sold out. The crowd in Odisha loves their sport and wouldn’t miss a chance to showcase their support for the national side.
Squads for India vs Spain
India: P.R. Sreejesh, Krishna Pathak, Jarmanpreet Singh, Surender Kumar, Harmanpreet Singh (Captain), Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas (Vice Captain), Nilam Sanjeep Xess, Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Nilakanta Sharma, Shamsher Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh
Spain: Andreas Rafi, Alejandro Alonso, Cesar Curiel, Xavi Gispert, Borja Lacalle, Álvaro Iglesias, Ignacio Rodríguez, Enrique Gonzalez, Gerard Clapes, Andreas Rafi, Jordi Bonastre, Joaquin Menini, Mario Garin(gk), Marc Reyne, Marc Miralles (captain), Pepe Cunill, Marc Recasens, Pau Cunill, Marc Vizcaino
When will Group D’s India vs Spain be played?
India vs Spain will be played on Friday, 13th January 2024
Where will the match be played?
The match is set to begin at Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha
What time will the match begin?
The match is set to start at 7 pm IST.
Where to watch India vs Spain Group D Men’s Hockey World Cup match?
The match will be telecasted live on Star Sports First, Star Sports Select 2 HD, and Star Sports Select 2. The official online broadcast partner is Disney+ Hotstar.
