Rich feast of hockey in the offing
Will the final round of the World Hockey League for men that gets underway at Bubaneshwar on December 1 throw up a new champion as it did in the past two editions?
While the Netherlands were the winners of the 2015 World Hockey League, Australia romped home with the 2016 gold medal.
Now the top eight teams - defending champions Australia, the Olympic champions Argentina, along with the Asia Cup champions and the hosts India, Olympic silver medalists Belgium, besides Germany the Netherlands, Spain and England - will be vying with each other for honours in Odisha, a new home for international hockey. Kalinga Hockey Stadium that hosted the 2014 Champions Trophy is now the venue. The same stadium will be used for the 2018 World Cup also.
While Australia, India,Germany and England are in pool B, Argentina, Belgium, the Netherlands and Spain comprise pool A.
Germany will take on England in the opener on December 1 while the hosts India start their campaign with a game against the defending champions on the first day.
Elated at its success in the last Asia Cup in Dhaka, Indian team looks rejuvenated with the return of deep defender and drag flicker Rupinder Pal Singh. Though India will be without their star Sardar Singh, the team with some new faces is bubbling to go under skipper Manpreet Singh.
In the practice games, India beat Argentina 2-0 besides playing 1-1 draw with England.
The World Hockey League has virtually replaced the Champions Trophy, once the most elitist or showcase tournament of the International Hockey Federation. The World Hockey league is more representative and highly competitive. In the last edition, India had finished with a bronze medal.
In less than a year, most of these teams will return to Bubaneshwar to play in the 2018 World Cup for men.
-PTC News
