Hockey World Cup 2023: Wales are here to cause an upset, says captain Rupert Shipperley

The
2023
edition
is
really
special
for
the

Wales
Men’s
Hockey
Team
as
it
will
be
their
first-ever
appearance
in
the
Men’s
Hockey
World
Cup.

The
excitement
and
anticipation
for
the
mega
event
was
evident
on
their
faces
as
they
made
touch
down
at
the
Biju
Patnaik
International
Airport
in
Bhubaneswar
last
weekend.

Shipperley
said
that
his
side
are
keen
to
ensure
the
year
begins
with
a
bang
in
Odisha.
Wales
open
their
campaign
against
England
on
January
13
and
play
Spain
on
January
15,
both
in
the
newly
built
Birsa
Munda
International
Hockey
Stadium
in
Rourkela.

“We
are
here
to
win,
it’s
as
simple
as
that.
We
are
not
here
to
just
make
up
the
numbers,
we
are
here
to
cause
an
upset,”
said
Shipperley
on
arriving
in
Bhubaneswar.

The
debutants
had
recently
played
the
Indian
Men’s
Hockey
Team
at
the
2022
Commonwealth
Games
Birmingham,
and
had
been
handed
a
4-1
defeat.

However,
according
to
Captain
Shipperley,
his
side
have
worked
on
their
game,
and
our
ready
to
take
on
the
hosts
in
Bhubaneswar
on
19th
January
at
the
Kalinga
Stadium.

“We
are
looking
forward
to
playing
India
in
front
of
their
fans,
it
is
going
to
be
a
special
occasion.
We
have
faced
all
the
teams
in
our
pool
before
and
we
know
what
to
expect,
we
are
just
raring
to
go
now,”
said
Shipperley.

Meanwhile,
head
coach
Danny
Newcombe
said,
“We
are
really
excited
to
come
and
play
our
first
world
cup
in
India,
it
really
is
a
privilege
to
be
here
but
ultimately
we
are
here
to
play
hockey,
playing
against
India
in
front
of
the
Indian
fans
is
the
icing
on
the
cake.”

The
Head
Coach
also
sounded
off
a
warning
to
all
the
other
teams
in
Pool
D,
which
includes
hosts
India,
Spain
and
England,
saying
that
the
Welsh
team
are
not
going
to
crumble
under
any
kind
of
pressure.

“This
player
group
is
quite
experienced,
most
of
us
have
been
together
for
almost
six
years
and
we
earned
the
right
to
be
here
we
are
not
here
to
just
participate
in
the
FIH
Odisha
Hockey
Men’s
World
Cup
2023
Bhubaneswar-Rourkela,”
he
asserted.

Source:
HI
Release