Bhubaneswar: International Hockey Federation (FIH) Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 championship is all set to kick off at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar and the newly-constructed Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. The opening match will be played between Argentina and South Africa at the Kalinga stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday. While the Indian hockey team led by Harmanpreet Singh will take the field against Spain in their opening game of Group D at Rourkela at 7 pm. India will take on Spain at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. The Men in Blue will face England on January 15 and debutant Wales on January 19.
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A total of 16 teams--Australia, Argentina, France, South Africa, Belgium, Germany, South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile, India, England, Spain and Wales--will play for the 15th edition of the World Cup. In all, 44 matches will be played of which 20 matches will be played in Rourkela and 24, including the final, will be played in Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar. The State government has built a new hockey stadium in Rourkela ahead of the event. Odisha is hosting the World Cup for the second time in a row. India was the host of the World Cup in 2018 as well.