Hockey World Cup 2023: Captain Harmanpreet Singh on mood in India dressing room

As
hosts,
India
is
fancied
to
finish
on
the
podium
and
the
expectations
are
far
greater
this
time
particularly
after
the
team’s
stupendous
performance
at
the
Olympic
Games
Tokyo
2020
where
they
ended
a
41-year
long
wait
to
stand
on
the
podium
again
by
bagging
the
Bronze
Medal.

“There
is
anticipation
and
excitement
in
equal
measure,”
expressed
Harmanpreet.
“As
the
team
bus
entered
the
Rourkela
city
and
drove
closer
to
the
hockey
facility,
there
were
thousands
of
fans
who
thronged
the
streets
with
tri-colour
flags
and
cheered
for
us
as
they
welcomed
us
into
their
home
town.

Hockey
World
Cup
2023:
There
is
true
team
spirit
among
all
of
us,
ready
for
tournament,
says
Sukhjeet
Singh

“We
were
simply
speechless
by
the
gesture,
and
it
was
then
that
we
actually
got
a
sense
of
how
much
hockey
means
to
the
people
of
this
region,”
exclaimed
the
ace
dragflicker.

Speaking
candidly,
Harmanpreet
went
on
to
add,
“Until
we
arrived
here,
we
had
only
heard
about
the
passion
and
love
people
have
for
hockey
here
through
our
teammates
Nilam
and
Amit
but
it
was
only
after
we
witnessed
the
reception
we
received
on
our
arrival,
did
we
realise
that
this
World
Cup
experience
will
be
like
no
other.”

Waiting
for
other
teams
to
experience
the
love
from
people
of
Odisha:

Starting
4th
January,
international
teams
will
start
arriving
in
Odisha
for
the
coveted
tournament.

Former
runners-up
the
Netherlands
will
be
the
first
team
to
arrive
on
Wednesday,
followed
by
Chile
on
Thursday
and
the
defending
Champions
Belgium
arrive
on
Friday
along
with
the
World
no.1
Australia
among
other
teams.

Each
day,
until
the
8th
January,
hosts
Hockey
India
and
Odisha
State
Government
will
be
welcoming
participating
teams
to
the
hockey-crazy
state,
which
is
hosting
its
second
Hockey
World
Cup.

Hockey
Men’s
World
Cup
2023:
Hockey
India
announces
cash
prize
to
boost
the
morale
of
Indian
Men’s
Team

“After
the
World
Cup
in
Kalinga
Hockey
Stadium
in
2018,
every
single
participating
team
went
back
with
great
memories
and
it
was
the
spectators,
the
incredible
venue,
the
hospitality,
the
way
everything
was
executed
that
made
the
previous
World
Cup
so
special
for
players,”
Harmanpreet
highlighted.

“In
Rourkela,
the
atmosphere
will
be
doubly
exhilarating
and
I
am
eagerly
waiting
for
every
team
to
experience
this
love
people
have
for
hockey.
They
are
not
only
going
to
cheer
for
India,
but
for
every
team.”

A
festive
atmosphere
awaits
the
teams:

While
the
newly
built
Birsa
Munda
Hockey
Stadium
readies
for
a
grand
opening
on
January
5
by
the
Odisha
Chief
Minister
Naveen
Patnaik,
a
visionary-par-excellence
whose
love
for
hockey
is
limitless,
one
can
sense
the
eagerness
with
which
fans
are
awaiting
the
start
of
the
tournament.

It’s
imperative
to
note
that
tickets
for
all
20
matches
in
Rourkela
is
sold
out
and
in
Bhubaneswar,
people
continue
to
make
a
beeline
to
grab
the
remaining
few
tickets
up
for
sale.

“There
is
already
a
festive
atmosphere
here
in
Rourkela
and
Bhubaneswar.
It’s
been
almost
a
week
since
we
arrived
here
and
the
energy
is
incredible,”
expressed
Amit
Rohidas,
the
Vice
Captain
of
the
team
who
hails
from
the
Sundergarh
region.

FIH
Hockey
World
Cup
2023:
Zafar
Iqbal
reckons
India
have
been
placed
in
a
tough
pool

“We
love
the
peppy
World
Cup
anthem
that
was
launched
recently,
a
country-wide
Trophy
Tour
has
got
everyone
talking
about
the
event
and
here
in
Odisha
itself,
there
are
so
many
celebratory
events
planned
around
the
World
Cup
that
everyone
travelling
for
this
event
have
a
chance
to
witness
more
than
just
hockey.”

Putting
in
the
final
touches:

Rohidas
further
emphasized
on
the
team’s
preparations
as
he
said,
“Emotions
and
excitement
aside,
we
are
focused
on
our
goal.
This
is
probably
the
best
chance
for
us
to
stand
on
the
podium
and
surely
the
expectations
have
gone
up
after
we
won
a
medal
at
the
Olympic
Games.”

“We
are
putting
in
final
touches
to
our
game.
We
have
gone
about
some
quality
training
sessions
in
the
new
stadium
and
will
be
playing
some
practice
matches
once
the
foreign
teams
arrive
here.
In
all,
we
are
looking
forward
to
some
fantastic
days
of
hockey
coming
up,”
Rohidas
signed
off.

Source:
HI
Release