The 16 greatest males’s groups from around the globe are converging in Odisha, India as we countdown to the ultimate few days until the beginning of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023! Each crew comes with the goal of changing into world champions, however just one crew can earn the best honour on the finish of the World Cup. The first impediment for all 16 groups within the occasion come within the type of their pool opponents. Winning the pool offers the groups an enormous benefit, because it results in straight qualification into the quarterfinals, whereas second and third-placed groups play an extra cross-over spherical. In at present’s preview, meet the groups in Pool B, and discover out the distinctive enjoying kinds they’ll deliver to the World Cup.
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Belgium
Belgium’s rise from European alsorans to the summit of worldwide hockey has been one of many standout tales of the previous twenty years. In the previous 5 years the Red Lions have gained each main title on provide, together with the World Cup (2018), Olympic Games (2021), European Championship (2019) and FIH Hockey Pro League (2020-21). It would take a courageous individual to guess in opposition to them efficiently defending the world title they so memorably claimed 4 years in the past in Bhubaneswar.
The crew coached by Dutchman Michel van den Heuvel incorporates a few of the world’s best gamers, confirmed winners who’ve claimed the largest titles on the best of levels. In Vincent Vanasch and Loic Van Doren, they’ve two world-class goalkeepers, whereas Arthur Van Doren, Victor Wegnez, Felix Denayer, Florent Van Aubel, John-John Dohmen, Alexander Hendrickx, Arthur de Sloover and Tom Boon – the latter two each shortlisted for the FIH Hockey Stars Player of the Year Award for 2022 – are all extraordinary abilities. With energy and depth in each division, you may be certain Belgium might be rightly thought of among the many favourites for the title.
Germany
With 4 Olympic gold medals, two World Cups and eight European titles, Germany have an enviable historical past in worldwide hockey and, when at their greatest, few groups can dwell with them. Tactically astute and technically very good, Die Honamas have a behavior of hitting type at Olympic Games and World Cups, one thing they are going to be hoping to repeat right here in Odisha.
Although the squad had not been confirmed on the time of writing, there are quite a few names that we hope to see in motion at this FIH Men’s World Cup. Two Germany gamers have been shortlisted for the FIH Hockey Stars Awards for 2022, with attacker Niklas Wellen gaining a nomination for the Best Player prize and goalkeeper Alexander Stadler nominated for the Best Goalkeeper award. They are removed from being the one superstars within the Germany squad, with good attacker Christopher Rühr, captain Mats Grambusch and penalty nook weapon Gonzalo Peillat – the person who fired Argentina to Olympic gold at Rio 2016 – only a handful of the world-class gamers on the disposal of head coach Andre Henning.
Japan
Making their first FIH Men’s World Cup look since Mönchengladbach 2006, Japan’s Samurais might be decided to remind everybody of their appreciable abilities.
At the delayed Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, the 2018 Asian Games gold medallists proved themselves to be a fearsome attacking unit that was maybe unlucky to be eradicated within the competitors pool section. The crew that competes in Odisha is significantly much less skilled than the one which took to the Olympic turf in Tokyo, with 11 gamers having fewer than 50 caps and ten athletes being aged between 18 and 23. Thirty-year-old captain Seren Tanaka is certainly one of six gamers to have surpassed the 100 caps marker, alongside goalkeeper Takashi Yoshikawa, Shota Yamada, Masaki Ohashi, Hiromasa Ochiai and Koji Yamasaki, all of whom competed at Tokyo 2020.
Japan, who sealed their place at this FIH Men’s World Cup with a fourth-place end on the 2022 Men’s Asia Cup, have been just lately in motion on the FIH Hockey Men’s Nations Cup in South Africa, recording wins in opposition to Canada and Pakistan on their technique to a sixth-place end. The crew is coached by Akira Takahashi, who represented Japan on the 2002 FIH Men’s World Cup in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and, fascinatingly, was Head Coach of the Samurais 4 years later in Mönchengladbach.
Korea
After failing to qualify for the 2018 version, Korea return to FIH Men’s World Cup motion courtesy of an outstanding victory on the 2022 Men’s Hockey Asia Cup, the place they defeated Malaysia within the competitors last. Veteran defenders Jang Jonghyun and Hwang Taeil contributed 11 objectives to that title’s success, sealing Korea’s place again on the high desk of worldwide hockey.
The crew have been concerned in two high-profile competitions in current months, with Malaysia gaining a measure of revenge by defeating the Koreans 3-2 within the last of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in November. The Korea-Malaysia rivalry continued a few weeks later on the inaugural FIH Hockey Nations Cup, with evergreen 39-year-old captain Namyong Lee on the scoresheet as Korea recorded an outstanding 4-0 victory within the bronze medal recreation. While a bronze medal was not adequate for Korea to safe a berth within the subsequent version of the FIH Hockey Pro League, their strong performances at that competitors in South Africa supplied loads of proof that Korea are a crew that shouldn’t be underestimated.
The fifteenth version of FIH’s flagship occasion for males might be performed from 13 to 29 January in Odisha, India. All details about the event is out there on www.worldcup.hockey.
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