Bhubaneswar: Clubbed with European giants England, Spain and Wales in Pool D, hosts India will open their campaign against Spain in the 2023 FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup at Rourkela on January 13, the opening day of the competition.
While India, the 1975 winner, will take on Spain in a prime-time match at 7 pm in the newly-constructed Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium, the action on the first day will start with a 1pm match between 2016 Olympic Gold medallists Argentina and Africa’s highest-ranked nation South Africa at the Kalinga Stadium here.
The second match of the day will also be played at Bhubaneswar with see world No. 1 Australia taking on Paris 2023 host France, in a repeat of the 2018 World Cup quarterfinal.
The inaugural match at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium, Rourkela will be a “derby” between England and Wales, and India and Spain will wind up the action for the day.
Defending champion Belgium will open their campaign against South Korea at 5pm on January 14 while former champions the Netherlands will get into the act in the 3pm match on the same day.
