The FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 begins in India. A total of 16 teams participated in the international event this year. It will be held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the 20,000-seater Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, India from 13 to 29 January 2023.
It is an integral part of sports current affairs 2023, here is a detailed note on FIH Hockey World Cup 2023, check it out.
Hockey World Cup 2023: Edition, Date, Schedule, and Host
Hockey World Cup 2023 Edition
▪ The 2023 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup will be the 15th edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup.
Hockey World Cup 2023 Governing Body
▪ The Men’s International Hockey Championship is organized every 4-years by the International Hockey Federation.
▪ The International Hockey Federation is the international governing body of field hockey and indoor field hockey.
▪ The International Hockey Federation, commonly known by the acronym FIH (Fédération Internationale de Hockey).
#HockeyWorldCup2023 #MajorGKfacts pic.twitter.com/0gj44nit4B
— Gkbooks (@Gkbooks3) January 12, 2023
Hockey World Cup 2023 Schedule
▪ Hockey World Cup 2023 will be held in India from January 13 to 29, 2023.
Hockey World Cup 2023 Host
▪ India to host the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup.
▪ This year the event is organized in two cities of Odisha namely Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
▪ Overall, India will host the tournament for the fourth time after successfully recalling the event in 1982 (Mumbai), 2010 (New Delhi), and 2018 (Odisha).
Hockey World Cup 2023 Stadium
▪ The 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup is being held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the newly constructed Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela.
About Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium ▪ India's Biggest Hockey Stadium ▪ Total Capacity: 21,000 ▪ Location: Rourkela, Odisha ▪ Construction cost: ₹260 Crore ($31 million) ▪ Inaugurated by: CM of Odisha Naveen Patnik ▪ It is the largest all-seater field hockey stadium in the world.
#India‘s_biggest_Hockey_Stadium#Odisha #Birsaminda_International_Hockey_Stadium pic.twitter.com/GGq9SltMos
— Gkbooks (@Gkbooks3) January 12, 2023
Next Hockey World Cup Venue
• The 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cup will be held in Wavre (Belgium) & Amstelveen (Netherlands).
The Mascot of Hockey World Cup 2023
▪ Olly is the official mascot of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023.
▪ ‘Olly’ is the endangered Olive Ridley turtle found along the Odisha coast, particularly in the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, the mouth of the Rushikulya, and the Devi River.
▪ It encourages fair play and sportsmanship and wins hearts with its warmth, fun, and exuberant gestures during international events in the state.
▪ The mascot ‘Olly’ was unveiled by Odisha in 2017. Later that year, the Odisha government announced ‘Olly’ as the permanent mascot for both national and international sports competitions held in the state.
Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik in a jovial mood with #Olly, the mascot of FIH #Odisha #Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Rourkela during launching of the premier sports facility. #HockeyComesHome pic.twitter.com/SccnwnIYT5
— Nilambar Rath (@nilambarrath) January 5, 2023
Hockey World Cup 2023 Opening Ceremony
▪ The Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 kicked off with a grand opening ceremony at Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium.
▪ The event kicked off with energetic performances by top stars like Ranveer Singh and Disha Patani, singers like Neeti Mohan, and even the K-pop band Blackswan.
▪ Official Anthem of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023: “Hockey Hai Dil Mera” was performed live by the composer Pritam and 11 other singers.
Opening Ceremony of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 begins at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack, Odisha. #HWC2023 | @IndiaSports | @TheHockeyIndia | @ianuragthakur | @YASMinistry | @Naveen_Odisha | #HockeyWorldCup2023 | @Media_SAI | #HockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/DeQ4uCqa3f
— All India Radio News (@airnewsalerts) January 11, 2023
Hockey World Cup 2023 inauguration
▪ Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Hockey World Cup 2023 in the presence of Union Minister Anurag Singh Tagore and other ministers at the Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.
▪ A book titled “Odisha Re Hockey” (Hockey in Odisha) was released by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik during the inauguration of the 2023 Hockey World Cup.
▪ The book discusses the history of Sundargarh hockey and Odisha’s role in promoting India’s national game.
Odisha Govt. initiatives for the event
▪ Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the World Cup Village at Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium Complex.
▪ He announced a prize of Rs 1 crore for every player of the Indian hockey team if they win the 2023 Hockey World Cup.
▪ Chief Minister of Odisha also, inaugurated the “MO Bus” (My Bus) service in Rourkela with 30 vehicles to ensure hassle-free movement during the Hockey World Cup 2023.
Hockey World Cup 2023 Teams
▪ Total of 16 teams will compete in the tournament, including the hosts, India.
▪ These 16 teams are:
- Argentina
- Australia
- Belgium (Defending Champions 2018)
- Chile
- England
- France
- Germany
- India (Host Country)
- Japan
- Korea
- Malaysia
- Netherlands (Runner-up 2018)
- New Zealand
- South Africa
- Spain
- Wales
Hockey World Cup 2023 Groups
▪ Pool A: Australia, Argentina, France, South Africa
▪ Pool B: Belgium, Germany, Korea, Japan
▪ Pool C: Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile
▪ Pool D: India, England, Spain, Wales
Hockey World Cup GK Facts
▪ The first Men’s Hockey World Cup Tournament was started in 1971.
▪ The 1971 Hockey Men’s World Cup was won by Pakistan.
▪ Pakistan is the most successful team, having won the tournament four times. (1917, 1978, 1982, 1994)
▪ India won its first-ever Men’s Hockey World Cup title in 1975.
▪ Belgium and India have both won the tournament once.
▪ Previous Winners of Men’s Hockey World Cup: Belgium (2018) & Australia (2014 and 2010)
▪ Germany Claims the Top Spot in FIH Rankings, India Ranks Sixth.
▪ Popular sand artist Sudarshan Patnaik created the world’s largest (105-feet) hockey stick using 5000 hockey balls and five tons of sand, as Odisha hosts the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
▪ Indian Men’s Hockey team won its first Olympic gold medal in 1928.
#WATCH | Cuttack: Sand artist Sudarshan Pattnaik creates the world’s largest Hockey stick as Odisha hosts FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023.
— ANI (@ANI) January 10, 2023
Sudarshan Pattnaik created a 105-feet long hockey stick, using 5000 hockey balls and over five tonnes of sand for the sculpture. pic.twitter.com/1UlzFZKV7N
Men’s Hockey World Cup Winners list
| Sl. No | Year | Host | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1971 | Barcelona, Spain | Pakistan |
| 2 | 1973 | Amstelveen | Netherlands |
| 3 | 1975 | Kuala Lumpur | India |
| 4 | 1978 | Buenos Aires, Argentina | Pakistan |
| 5 | 1982 | Bombay, India | Pakistan |
| 6 | 1986 | London, England | Australia |
| 7 | 1990 | Lahore, Pakistan | Netherlands |
| 8 | 1994 | Sydney, Australia | Pakistan |
| 9 | 1998 | Utrecht, Netherlands | Netherlands |
| 10 | 2002 | Kuala Lumpur, Malayasia | Germany |
| 11 | 2006 | Mönchengladbach, Germany | Germany |
| 12 | 2010 | New Delhi, India | Australia |
| 13 | 2014 | The Hague, Netherlands | Belgium |
| 14 | 2018 | Bhubaneswar, India | Belgium |
| 15 | 2023 | Bhubaneswar & Rourkela, India | Germany |
| 16 | 2026 | Wavre, Belgium & Amstelveen, Netherlands | TBD |
Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 in a Nutshell
| 1 | Dates | 13-29 January |
| 2 | Host Country | India |
| 3 | Host State | Odisha |
| 4 | Host Cities | Bhubaneswar and Rourkela |
| 5 | Venue(s) | Kalinga Sradium & Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium |
| 6 | Teams | 16 (from 5 Confederations) |
| 7 | Champion | Germany |
| 8 | Runner-up | Belgium |
| 9 | Third Place | Netherlands |
| 10 | Goals scored | 249 |
| 10 | Top scorer(s) | Australia ‘s Jeremy Hayward (9 goals) |
| 11 | Best player | Niklas Wellen (Germany) |
| 12 | Best young player | Mustapha Cassiem (South Africa ) |
| 13 | Best goalkeeper | Vincent Vanasch (Belgium) |
| 14 | Next Hockey World Cup | 2026 |
| 15 | Next Hockey World Cup Host | Wavre (Begium) & Amstelveen (Netherlands) |
| 16 | Previous Winners | Belgium (2018) & Australia (2014 and 2010) |
| 17 | India’s previous Hockey World Cup title | 1975 (First title) |
| 18 | Most successful teams | Pakistan (4 titles: 1917, 1978, 1982, 1994) |
| 19 | Official Anthem | “Hockey Hai Dil Mera” |
| 20 | Opening Ceremony | Cuttack’s Barabati Stadium. |
| 21 | Indian Host State | India hosts 4 times 2018 – Odisha 2023 – Odisha 1982 – Bombay 2010 – New Delhi |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: Odisha, India
Answer: Star Sports First, Star Sports Select 2, Star Sports Select 2 HD TV channels, and Disney + Hotstar.
Answer: Pakistan (4 times)
Answer: Belgium (2018)
Answer: 1975 (1st ever title)
