FIH World Cup 2023: Indian men's hockey team reaches Odisha for World Cup
FIH World Cup 2023: Indian men's hockey team reaches Odisha for World Cup
admin
Bhubaneswar: The Indian men's hockey team was greeted warmly upon their arrival at the Biju Patnaik International Airport (BPIA) in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday morning ahead of the World Cup 2023.
The Indian squad, led by Captain Harmanpreet Singh, will arrive in Rourkela from Bhubaneswar in the evening via Jharsuguda airport and begin practice sessions at Birsa Munda International Stadium on Wednesday.
The Indian players will be housed in a freshly constructed hotel near the Birsa Munda Stadium. Other countries' teams will arrive in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela in the first week of January.
"I am pleased that I will be playing the Hockey World Cup on my own soil. We've been practicing in Bengaluru and will do so again in Rourkela. We are excited to compete in the competition. The state government has taken a commendable step in organizing hockey world cup matches in two locations in Odisha. Our first goal is to reach the quarterfinals. "We'll strive to get into the round of eight by doing well in the first few of games," vice captain Amit Rohidas told the media.
Notably, on December 23, the 18-member team for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup, which will be hosted in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29, was announced.
The best drag flicker Harmanpreet has been selected Captain of the squad, with Amit Rohidas of Odisha serving as his deputy. Nilam Sanjeep Xess, another Odia player, has also been named to the squad.
"We've laid out our plans and will stick to them. It will be difficult for us to play at the Kalinga Stadium hockey ground. "Our early arrival in the city and practice sessions, on the other hand, will help us get acquainted to the pitch," Harmanpreet told local media.
"A large crowd is expected in Odisha. "We'll take it positively by treating the audience as the 12th man," he continued.
The world cup trophy landed in Odisha's capital on December 25 to a rousing welcome from sports enthusiasts, supporters, and followers of the game at Biju Patnaik International Airport, where it was met by Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.
