India (IND) gears up to host the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men's Hockey World Cup 2023. The global Hockey tournament will be a 17-day affair starting from January 13 till January 29. FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 will be the 15th edition of the International field hockey competition. The grand tournament of hockey will witness the gathering of top 16 teams contesting for one common goal. India will be hosting its second consecutive FIH Men's Hockey World Cup and the state of Odisha will see its two cities; Bhubaneswar and Rourkela co-hosting the hockey's classical event. Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup 2023 Schedule for Free PDF Download Online: Get Hockey Fixtures, Time Table With Match Timings in IST and Venue Details.

The tournament will begin with a league stage in which four groups A,B,C and D, have been devised, consisting of four teams each. India is placed in group D alongside England, Spain and Wales. Hosts will play their opening match of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 against Spain on January 13 at Rourkela. India, currently the number six side in the FIH rankings will take on the number five rated side, England on January 15 in the second league match at Rourkela. The hosts will then play their final league match against Wales on January 19 at Bhubaneswar.

Date Match Time (IST) Venue
India vs Spain January 13 07:00 PM  Rourkela
India vs England January 15 07:00 PM  Rourkela
India vs Wales January 19 07:00 PM  Bhubaneshwar

India has hosted the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup three times previously in the years 1982 (Mumbai), 2010 (New Delhi), and 2018 (Bhubaneswar). With the 2023 edition, India became the first country to host the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup four times. India have lifted the Hockey World Cup trophy only once in 1975 at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, after outclassing the arch-rivals Pakistan. The Indian Men's Hockey team will be yearning to put an end to 47 year long quest and conclude this year's campaign at home turf with a Podium finish. 

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 06, 2023 12:30 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).