The Indian men’s hockey team has been placed in a tough group with rivals Pakistan, strong team England, and Wales for the upcoming FIH Hockey World Cup. The tournament will be hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium later this year.
At the draw event held on Tuesday at Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam, the Indian women’s team was also grouped with China, England, and South Africa. The tournament is scheduled to take place from August 15 to 30.
Both the Indian men’s and women’s teams are in Pool D and will play their matches in the Netherlands. The full match schedule will be announced soon.
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The current men’s champions, Germany, who won the 2023 World Cup in Bhubaneswar by beating Belgium, are placed in Pool B along with Belgium, France, and Malaysia.
The draw ceremony included well-known hockey players like Naomie van As, Barbara Neelen, and Teun de Nooijer. DJ La Fuente was also present and was named the Dutch Ambassador for the World Cup.
FIH president Tayyab Ikram said he hopes the tournament will bring people together during difficult times in the world. He added that events like this can help promote peace and unity, and thanked Belgium and the Netherlands for hosting the tournament.
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The Pools:
Men:
Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan (playing in the Netherlands)
Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia (playing in Belgium)
Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa (playing in Belgium)
Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales (playing in the Netherlands)
Women:
Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan (playing in the Netherlands)
Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland (playing in Belgium)
Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland (playing in Belgium)
Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa (playing in the Netherlands).
India vs Pakistan's head-to-head record
Despite India's recent dominance against Pakistan in the sport, the Men in Green still hold the upper hand in their rivalry. The two teams have faced each other 181 times, out of which Pakistan has won 82 games while India has won 67. 32 games have ended in draws. However, India has a marginal lead in the World Cups, winning three out of five matches.