Hockey
Team has grown steadily in the past year: Men's hockey skipper Manpreet Singh
With Hockey India announcing Bhubaneswar and Rourkela as the host cities for the 2023 FIH Men's World Cup, Indian captain Manpreet Singh expressed excitement about the prestigious quadrennial event returning to the spectacular Kalinga Stadium.Â
Also read: Odisha to host Hockey Men's World Cup 2023
Expressing his aspirations for the team, captain Manpreet stated:
On Rourkela being another host city, Manpreet added, "This is a great initiative taken up by Odisha Government and Hockey India. Rourkela and its surrounding region has a rich hockey culture with many of my teammates and senior players emerging from there. Hosting a major event like the World Cup there will not only boost the hockey scene further, it will also show the real hockey belt of Odisha to the world."Â
Speaking about India's performance, Manpreet said the team is steadily improving and the Hockey Pro League will test their consistency. "I think the team has grown steadily this past year with a number of youngsters getting very good international exposure. We have a good pool of players who can be further tested during the Hockey Pro League. Although we have maintained our world ranking at No.5, our consistency will be put to test during the Hockey Pro League where we play top teams like the Netherlands, Belgium, and Australia in the first three months of the season," added the midfielder. Â
The Indian Men's Hockey Team is currently based out of Bhubaneswar for the ongoing National Coaching Camp that concludes on December 8.Â