Islamabad: Three-time world champions Pakistan will be missing the FIH Men’s World Cup 2023 following their inability to finish among top four spots in the Asia Cup.
All the other Asian hockey-playing countries – India, Japan, Malaysia, and Korea – will be seen in action in the 16-team event.
The FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 is going to start in Indian cities – Bhubaneswar and Rourkela – within nine-day time.
For the first time, sixteen countries are competing in the Hockey World Cup that earlier was restricted to just 12 countries.
Yet, Pakistan who are ranked 17th in the world are missing the four-yearly tournament.
For the first time the FIH Men’s World Cup will be hosted by a nation twice in a row as the 2018 edition was held in the state of in India as well. The Indian city also hosted the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in 2021 and the FIH Hockey Pro League over the past 4 years, following the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup in 2018.
Both Bhubaneswar and Rourkela, will host matches on the opening day of the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar, Rourkela.
The first match on January 13 will be played in the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar, where Argentina will take on South Africa.
This will be followed by more Pool A action between World No. 1 Australia and the rapidly improving French team.
