India is all set to host the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup and the mega event starts from tomorrow i.e. November 28-Dember 16, 2018 at Kalinga Stadium, Odisha.  This is the 14th edition of the Hockey World Cup field hockey tournament. Today the Kalinga Stadium will host the opening ceremony for the 19-day long tournament. The Odisha Government has already declared a holiday for today on the occasion of the opening ceremony. The opening ceremony will witness the performances from Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and Oscar Award winner AR Rahman. Hockey World Cup 2018 Schedule & Timetable in IST: Check Out Complete Fixtures & Venue of FIH 2018 Men's Hockey WC Matches in Odisha.

The mega-event happening is Odisha will witness the participation of 16 teams which have been further divided into four groups. India is placed in Pool C along with Canada, South Africa and Belgium. India will play their first match against South Africa tomorrow on November 28, 2018. Check out the facts you need to know for the most awaited tournament.

  • Australia, Belgium, India, Malaysia and New Zealand were shortlisted as candidates for hosting the tournament. Belgium did not meet the requirements and Australia withdrew their application due to technical and financial reasons.

  • The Odisha Government has pumped in close to Rs 100 crore for the preparation of the Kalinga Stadium.

  • The Kalinga Stadium has a seating capacity of 15,000.

  • Olly, the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle is the official Mascot of the 2018 Men’s Hockey World Cup.

  • The mascot aims to raise awareness about the Olive Ridley turtle which is now on the verge of getting extinct. The mascot also is the personification of the spirit of sportsmanship and encourages the players to play in the right spirit of the game with complete fairness.

  • This is the First World Cup with the four-quarters rule.

  • India is hosting the World Cup for the third time, after 1982 (Mumbai) and 2010 (Delhi).

  • China will make their debut at the men's World Cup.

  • France will make a comeback into the World Cup after 28 years.

  • Captain Manpreet Singh is the most experienced player in the team.

  • The World Cup trophy which will be given away to the winners of the tournament was designed by Basheer Moojid in Pakistan. Members of the Electrical Corps of the Pakistani Army worked on the design.

  • Hardik Singh, India’s mid-fielder was a ball boy in 2013 during the inaugural of the Hockey India League.

  • India won the World Cup 1975.

With this India surely hopes to walk away with the trophy. Check out the Indian squad below:

Squad:

Goalkeepers: PR Sreejesh, Krishna Bahadur Pathak.

Defenders: Harmanpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Varun Kumar, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas.

Midfielders: Manpreet Singh (capt), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam (vice-capt), Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh, Sumit.

Forwards: Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay, Simranjeet Singh.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 27, 2018 05:52 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).