Hockey World Cup 2023: IND vs ESP in World Cup opener
A confident and excited Team India all set to take on tricky Spain in the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup as the hosts begin their campaign in Odisha’s Rourkela on Friday. After a bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics in 2022, the Indian team will seek their first podium finish in 48 years in the World Cup now. India won a bronze in the inaugural tournament in 1971 and clinched a silver in the next edition in 1973.
Currently ranked sixth in the world, the Indian team would be one of the medal contenders with the talented bunch led by Harmanpreet Singh emerging as a force to reckon with.
In the previous edition, also held in Bhubaneswar, India had exited at the quarterfinal stage after losing to the Netherlands, the eventual runners-up, and they would be looking to reach at least the semifinals this time. India have also done well in the FIH Hockey Pro League, finishing third in the 2021-22 season. The confidence and the winning mentality is back with the team.
