FIH Hockey World Cup 2023, set to start out on January 13 in Odisha, will carry collectively one of the best hockey skills on the earth, who will battle it out for the distinguished title.
Listed below are 16 gamers, from every of the 16 groups, to be careful for on this version of the World Cup.
AUSTRALIA
Eddie Ockenden of Australia and Devindar Walmiki of India battle for the ball in the course of the FIH Males’s Hero Hockey Champions Trophy 2016 last between Australia and India.
| Photograph Credit score: Joel Ford
Having already received the world title twice — in 2010 and 2014 — Australia’s Eddie Ockenden is already within the class of all-time greats.
The 35-year-old Aussie co-captain can be his nation’s file caps holder. Final yr, he grew to become simply the seven gamers within the historical past of males’s hockey to have made greater than 400 worldwide appearances.
ARGENTINA
Maico Casella, a sensible and inventive striker who’s able to scoring spectacular targets, will lead the cost for Argentina within the World Cup.
Casella, who performs for Dutch aspect HGC on the membership stage, has scored 31 targets for his nationwide aspect.
FRANCE
France’s rising inventory in world hockey has been aided by the ascent of ahead Timothee Clement.
The 22-year-old was topped Finest Participant of the Match on the FIH Odisha Hockey Males’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar in 2021, the place he captained France to a historic bronze medal.
SOUTH AFRICA
Dayaan Cassiem, a livewire ahead able to breaching one of the best of defences. He was a member of the aspect that competed on the Tokyo Olympics.
Cassiem led South Africa to the inaugural FIH Hockey Males’s Nations Cup at house in December final yr, which additionally assured qualification into the FIH Hockey Professional League 2023/24 season. He was named the Finest Participant of the occasion.
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BELGIUM
Defender Alexander Hendrickx is among the many most famous penalty nook specialists within the recreation with a superb conversion file.
Hendrickx completed because the top-scorer on the Tokyo Video games with a staggering 14 targets in simply eight matches.
GERMANY
Argentina’s Peillat Gonzalo (No.2) celebrates after scoring a objective towards Spain within the Males’s Hockey World Cup 2018.
| Photograph Credit score: BISWARANJAN ROUT
Defender Gonzalo Peillat, who has received an Olympic gold medal and was the 2014 World Cup top-scorer with Argentina, received the clearance to make his worldwide debut with Germany earlier this yr after receiving a German passport.
Peillat’s inclusion can be a shot within the arm with the 30-year-old thought-about to be probably the greatest drag glints within the recreation.
SOUTH KOREA
Jonghyun, the 38-year-old defender, continues to be a potent penalty nook specialist with seven strikes in 5 matches.
He was additionally instrumental within the Champions Trophy win in 2021 with 10 targets.
JAPAN
Defender Ken Nagayoshi is the penalty nook specialist within the crew with six conversions this yr alone.
Nagayoshi was a member of the Japanese aspect which completed runner-up on the 2021 Males’s Asian Champions Trophy.
NETHERLANDS
Netherlands Males’s Hockey Coach Jeroen Delmee with crew captain Thierry Brinkman pose for an image on their arrival at Biju Patnaik Worldwide airport.
| Photograph Credit score: ANI
Nonetheless solely 27, captain Thierry Brinkman is among the most skilled members of the squad and his seven targets as a striker have been essential to the Netherlands’ gold medal within the 2021/22 Professional League.
NEW ZEALAND
Whereas Simon Little one is the veteran within the crew, a lot is anticipated of fellow striker Sam Lane who is anticipated to play the same function sooner or later.
The 25-year-old who performs for Orange Rood within the Dutch League has 30 targets in his worldwide profession and scored thrice in 4 matches of the Professional League together with a brace towards India.
MALAYSIA
At 35, defender Razie Rahim is the oldest member of the Malaysian squad. He may also be essential to the crew’s hopes.
On his day, Rahim will be devastating along with his drag flicks — he was essential to Malaysia’s Azlan Shah triumph, scoring seven targets within the successful marketing campaign.
CHILE
With 76 targets in 169 matches, striker Martin Rodriguez is probably the most skilled member of the squad.
Rodriguez, who made his debut in 2008, is among the most adorned Chilean hockey gamers.
WALES
Rupert Shipperley, member of the Nice Britain crew on the Tokyo Olympics, attacking midfielder.
An attacking participant with a watch for objective, Rupert may have develop into a rugby participant if not for an damage sustained when he was younger that led to him shifting his consideration to hockey.
ENGLAND
Sam Ward is an skilled and proficient striker with the power to attain from any angle.
Ward was a member of the Nice Britain crew which received bronze on the 2018 Commonwealth Video games in Gold Coast. A yr later, he had a career-threatening incident when was struck within the face by the ball in the course of the Olympic qualifying play-off win towards Malaysia, which decreased the imaginative and prescient in his left eye.
SPAIN
Spain’s Gonzalez Enrique (No.8) reacts after scoring a objective towards Argentina within the Males’s Hockey World Cup 2018 on the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar on November 29, 2018.
| Photograph Credit score: BISWARANJAN ROUT
Enrique Gonzalez, a speedy ahead and proficient playmaker, can be Spain’s most important attacking pressure on the World Cup.
Having taken half within the 2018 World Cup, he was a part of the silver medal-winning aspect from the 2019 European Championship.
INDIA
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh will shoulder the accountability of main India again into the rostrum on the Hockey World Cup.
Armed with a terrific drag flick, he can be one of many stars to be careful for on this World Cup.
