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The much-awaited Hockey World Cup is finally around the corner, slated to be played from January 13 to January 29 in Odisha, India. A total of 16 teams from across the globe will gather in Bhubaneswar for the 15th edition of the marquee tournament and among these sides, we will have two debutants as well, in European side Wales and South American side Chile.
Wales: Ranked 15 in the world
The Welshmen are placed in Pool D alongside hosts India, England, and Spain. They will kick off their campaign against neighbours England on January 13. It is a major achievement for the side, given that the only prize in their hockey history was a bronze medal at the 1908 Olympics. This might also be because, in the Olympics, they have been part of Great Britain at the Olympics.
In the Commonwealth Games in 2022, finished in the sixth spot. This was their highest rank to date at the CWG.
The Welshmen are not here to lose and go home early, and this was reiterated by their skipper. "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 Rupert Shipperley.
Grouped with the hosts, the debutants recently played the Indian Hockey Team at the Birmingham Games, losing 4-1.
Chile: Ranked 14 in the world
Chile are a small country who have broken above their South American compatriots and reached the level of Argentina at the least. Chile has never qualified for the Hockey World Cup until 2021, when they reached the final of the 2022 Men's Pan American Cup, losing to giants Argentina.
The Chileans have been clubbed with Netherlands, Malaysia and New Zealand in Pool C, and will play their first-ever World Cup game on January 14 against the Kiwis. The favourites in this Pool are definitely the Netherlands, but if Chile can beat New Zealand in the opening game, they stand a big chance of making it to the next round. Chile might even be the underdog of the competition, or so their captain Fernando Renz believes.
“We have a good mixture of young and senior players in our squad. Our team is really good and we have been playing together for four years. So, we are a team that is really tough to beat and will be doing our best in the World Cup,” he said.
