The Hockey World Cup is slowly reaching its business end. Defending champions Belgium squared up against New Zealand on Tuesday in what was an enthralling game despite the 2-0 scoreline suggesting otherwise.

The Hockey World Cup is slowly reaching its business end. Defending champions Belgium squared up against New Zealand on Tuesday in what was an enthralling game despite the 2-0 scoreline suggesting otherwise. Underdogs New Zealand could have easily walked out with a win if they showed a little more application in their finishing. Meanwhile, three-time champions Australia had to toil rather hard against Spain to earn a 4-3 win to earn a berth in the semifinals. The close nature of both matches carried forward the theme observed across the tournament. The teams ranked below in the table have been punching well above their weight and not allowing the top teams to have an easy walk over. In an exclusive interaction with WION's Sports Editor Digvijay Singh Deo, former high-performance director of Indian Hockey, David John spoke on the same and suggested that in modern hockey, the top-12 teams were not differentiated by much and on their day, any team could outmuscle the other. Excerpts: Belgium vs New Zealand was always seen as a David vs Goliath battle. Many had thought New Zealand overachieved by reaching the quarter-final. But that wasn't a walk in the park for Belgium as people were expecting. Is that showing that top-10 teams, perhaps, in world hockey when it comes to this stage, there is not much separation, especially in knockout games like these? I think the top 12...Korea showed yesterday. They are capable of getting a result and Malaysia were one hit against the post away from also going forward. So, the top 12 in this competition are very close. Belgium, it was interesting to see how they were going to play without Hendrickx. Now, they have lost him for the tournament...he was their premier drag-flicker. They have a good replacements in Tom Boon and Loïck Luypaert. Structurally though, they are very sound...they are quite happy leading by two goals and playing the game out. And absorbing the defence for long periods of time. So, New Zealand needed to press earlier. I know, they took off their goalkeeper with seven minutes left and it give them some opportunities. However, they didn't seem to press hard enough at critical times in the match to put them under pressure. WATCH | Hockey World Cup: Australia and Belgium reach semis × In the two quarter-finals today, England will go toe-to-toe with Germany while in the final round of 8 match will see the Netherlands lock horns with South Korea. WATCH WION LIVE HERE:

EXCLUSIVE: 'The top 12 are very close', says David John on the increased competition in the hockey World Cup

In a brilliant battle of equals, hosts Belgium beat Indian Men`s Hockey Team 3-2 in their second leg of their double-header this weekend at the FIH Hockey Pro League here. It was Abhishek (25`) who scored the match`s first goal while Mandeep Singh (60`) scored a late goal for India. Nicolas de Kerpel (33`) and Alexander Hendrickx (49`, 59`) were the goal scorers for the hosts. With this win, Belgium have pushed India to the third place in the pool standings while Netherlands continues to lead the table in this season`s prestigious FIH Hockey Pro League. 
 
It was hosts Belgium who got off to a flying start, showing their will to bounce back after losing to India 4-5 in a tense shootout on Saturday. After a few attempts, Belgium found an early opportunity in the 7th minute through a PC but a poor variation denied them a lead. Three minutes later, Jarmanpreet`s assist to Sukhjeet Singh at the top of the circle opened up a brilliant chance for India to take the lead but Sukhjeet`s shot went over the goalpost. Both teams played the next few minutes with caution, rotating the ball tactfully creating space but neither team were successful in scoring a goal. 
 
After showing patience in their game, India finally broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Gurjant teamed up with Lalit Upadhyay to set up a brilliant goal by Abhishek. Ahead by 1-0 at half-time, India came out of the ten-minute half-time break with a clear intent to increase their lead.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/afc-asian-cup-qualifiers-india-afg-players-engage-in-ugly-brawl-after-chhetri-cos-2-1-win-watch-487669">AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: India, AFG players engage in ugly brawl after Chhetri &amp; Co.'s 2-1 win - WATCH</a> 
 
Harmanpreet Singh created one such opportunity when he assisted experienced forward Akashdeep Singh with a brilliant long pass only a minute and a half into the third quarter. Poised on top of the circle, Akashdeep took a strong shot on goal but it went straight to the Belgian goalie Vincent Vanasch who padded the ball away. Only moments later, Belgium scored a splendid goal in the 33rd minute when a good interception dispossessed India, setting up a brilliant run into the circle where Arthur de Sloover set up Nicolas de Kerpel to score. Kerpel sneaked the ball past India`s vigilant custodian Sreejesh, into the extreme right corner of the post. The goal fetched the hosts a much-needed equaliser as they built on this attack to create many more opportunities in the following minutes. 
 
The hosts succeeded in extending their lead when they were awarded a PC after a foot foul by Indian defenders inside their circle. Alexander Hendrickx was on target firing the ball past India`s PC defence. 
 
With just five minutes left for the final hooter, India found a fine opportunity when they won a PC after a good video referral call. But dragflick specialist Harmanpreet`s aim to net the top of the post was pushed away by Belgium`s experienced goalie Vanasch. With just minutes left before the final hooter, Belgium put India under pressure when they drove into the striking circle. This was when a desperate body tackle by Sreejesh saw India concede a penalty stroke which was converted by Hendrickx with ease. 
 
Though, India fought back to the final second, with Manpreet Singh setting up India`s second goal when he assisted Vivek Sagar in the circle. A quick-thinking Vivek pushed the ball to Mandeep Singh who deflected the ball past Belgium`s keeper to narrow the lead to 2-3. But unfortunately, with just 30 seconds left, India`s excellent fight back ended in disappointment.

In a brilliant battle of equals, hosts Belgium beat Indian Men`s Hockey Team 3-2 in their second leg of their double-header this weekend at the FIH Hockey Pro League here.

In a brilliant battle of equals, hosts Belgium beat Indian Men`s Hockey Team 3-2 in their second leg of their double-header this weekend at the FIH Hockey Pro League here. It was Abhishek (25`) who scored the match`s first goal while Mandeep Singh (60`) scored a late goal for India. Nicolas de Kerpel (33`) and Alexander Hendrickx (49`, 59`) were the goal scorers for the hosts. With this win, Belgium have pushed India to the third place in the pool standings while Netherlands continues to lead the table in this season`s prestigious FIH Hockey Pro League. It was hosts Belgium who got off to a flying start, showing their will to bounce back after losing to India 4-5 in a tense shootout on Saturday. After a few attempts, Belgium found an early opportunity in the 7th minute through a PC but a poor variation denied them a lead. Three minutes later, Jarmanpreet`s assist to Sukhjeet Singh at the top of the circle opened up a brilliant chance for India to take the lead but Sukhjeet`s shot went over the goalpost. Both teams played the next few minutes with caution, rotating the ball tactfully creating space but neither team were successful in scoring a goal. After showing patience in their game, India finally broke the deadlock in the 25th minute when Gurjant teamed up with Lalit Upadhyay to set up a brilliant goal by Abhishek. Ahead by 1-0 at half-time, India came out of the ten-minute half-time break with a clear intent to increase their lead. ALSO READ | AFC Asian Cup Qualifiers: India, AFG players engage in ugly brawl after Chhetri & Co.'s 2-1 win - WATCH Harmanpreet Singh created one such opportunity when he assisted experienced forward Akashdeep Singh with a brilliant long pass only a minute and a half into the third quarter. Poised on top of the circle, Akashdeep took a strong shot on goal but it went straight to the Belgian goalie Vincent Vanasch who padded the ball away. Only moments later, Belgium scored a splendid goal in the 33rd minute when a good interception dispossessed India, setting up a brilliant run into the circle where Arthur de Sloover set up Nicolas de Kerpel to score. Kerpel sneaked the ball past India`s vigilant custodian Sreejesh, into the extreme right corner of the post. The goal fetched the hosts a much-needed equaliser as they built on this attack to create many more opportunities in the following minutes. The hosts succeeded in extending their lead when they were awarded a PC after a foot foul by Indian defenders inside their circle. Alexander Hendrickx was on target firing the ball past India`s PC defence. With just five minutes left for the final hooter, India found a fine opportunity when they won a PC after a good video referral call. But dragflick specialist Harmanpreet`s aim to net the top of the post was pushed away by Belgium`s experienced goalie Vanasch. With just minutes left before the final hooter, Belgium put India under pressure when they drove into the striking circle. This was when a desperate body tackle by Sreejesh saw India concede a penalty stroke which was converted by Hendrickx with ease. Though, India fought back to the final second, with Manpreet Singh setting up India`s second goal when he assisted Vivek Sagar in the circle. A quick-thinking Vivek pushed the ball to Mandeep Singh who deflected the ball past Belgium`s keeper to narrow the lead to 2-3. But unfortunately, with just 30 seconds left, India`s excellent fight back ended in disappointment.

FIH Hockey Pro League: Olympic Champions Belgium beat India 3-2 in a hard-fought contest

Having finished second in their preliminary round group following a defeat to France in their opening match, defending champions India take on top contender Belgium in the quarter-finals of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup here on Wednesday in a match that could make or break their fortunes in the event.

Victory will take them into the semi-finals while defeat would bring to a premature end their defence of the title India won at home in 2016. 
 
Belgium are ranked first in the World in Junior Rankings while India are fifth, the Red Devils are unbeaten so far in this event though being held to a draw by Malaysia is a blemish they have to carry into the match against India.

India on the other hand have recovered well after the 4-5 defeat against France to comprehensively beat Canada (13-1) and Poland (8-2).

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/fih-hockey-mens-junior-wc-hosts-india-stumble-to-4-5-loss-in-opening-game-vs-france-431819">FIH Hockey Men's Junior WC: Hosts India stumble to 4-5 loss in opening game vs France</a>

Considering all these aspects, it will be a huge challenge for India when they take on Belgium in the key last-eight clash. Belgium are a very compact team and as India chief coach Graham Reid said it is in their DNA to "move the ball very quickly and with ability and confidence, which has come down from the senior team"

So, just like the senior team, Junior Red Devils are very dangerous, they defend well and are very aggressive attack. They are quick on counter-attack and are very good in penalty corner conversion, presenting a huge challenge for any team. 
 
"But there are also some vulnerabilities (in Belgium's play) that Malaysia had exploited and I am confident my team will be able to try that," said Reid. 
 
And India will have to take on this challenge without key midfielder Maninder Singh, who suffered a hamstring injury during the match against Poland and has not yet recovered from that. Coach Reid said Bobby Singh will replace him with Bobby Singh, who will have to manage the midfield with skipper Vivek Sagar Prasad. 
 
A strong and aggressive forward-line and abundant drag flickers have turned out to be the aces up the sleeves of the Indian team. Araijeet Singh Hundal and Uttam Singh have been India`s most successful forwards in the event so far with five and four goals respectively. Hundal has scored both field goals and off penalty corners and India will depend on him and defender Sanjay to do the bulk of the scoring. Sharda Nand Tiwari is another one who has been successful with his penalty corners. 
 
The Indians will have to guard against conceding early goals as they did against France and ensure that they defend deep and don't allow Belgium to take control of the midfield.

IN PICS:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-neeraj-chopra-to-mithali-raj-list-of-athletes-who-won-major-dhyan-chand-khel-ratna-award-in-2021-429094">From Neeraj Chopra to Mithali Raj: List of athletes who won Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021</a> 
 
Coach Reid accepted that his boys will have to be calm and composed during the entire match and should play with discipline and not get too many cards as they did against Poland. 
 
The hosts will take heart from India's victory against Belgium in the final of the 2016 edition at Lucknow. Though those were two different teams. "It does give us a boost that we are going into the match as defending champions but that is not a lot. Every tournament is different from another. What matters more is how you play on the day and what gives you more confidence in the fact that we have prepared well, played, and stayed together for months," said defender Yashdeep Siwach. 
 
India does have an edge in head-to-head, having won four of the five matches against Belgium in the U-21 stage. 
 
In other quarter-final matches on Wednesday, six-time champions Germany take on European rivals Spain, the Netherlands, looking to win their first title in the Junior World Cup, meet Argentina while France face Malaysia in third quarter-final.

Having finished second in their preliminary round group following a defeat to France in their opening match, defending champions India take on top contender Belgium in the quarter-finals of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup here on Wednesday in a match that could make or break their fortunes in the event.

Having finished second in their preliminary round group following a defeat to France in their opening match, defending champions India take on top contender Belgium in the quarter-finals of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup here on Wednesday in a match that could make or break their fortunes in the event. Victory will take them into the semi-finals while defeat would bring to a premature end their defence of the title India won at home in 2016. Belgium are ranked first in the World in Junior Rankings while India are fifth, the Red Devils are unbeaten so far in this event though being held to a draw by Malaysia is a blemish they have to carry into the match against India. India on the other hand have recovered well after the 4-5 defeat against France to comprehensively beat Canada (13-1) and Poland (8-2). ALSO READ: FIH Hockey Men's Junior WC: Hosts India stumble to 4-5 loss in opening game vs France Considering all these aspects, it will be a huge challenge for India when they take on Belgium in the key last-eight clash. Belgium are a very compact team and as India chief coach Graham Reid said it is in their DNA to "move the ball very quickly and with ability and confidence, which has come down from the senior team" So, just like the senior team, Junior Red Devils are very dangerous, they defend well and are very aggressive attack. They are quick on counter-attack and are very good in penalty corner conversion, presenting a huge challenge for any team. "But there are also some vulnerabilities (in Belgium's play) that Malaysia had exploited and I am confident my team will be able to try that," said Reid. And India will have to take on this challenge without key midfielder Maninder Singh, who suffered a hamstring injury during the match against Poland and has not yet recovered from that. Coach Reid said Bobby Singh will replace him with Bobby Singh, who will have to manage the midfield with skipper Vivek Sagar Prasad. A strong and aggressive forward-line and abundant drag flickers have turned out to be the aces up the sleeves of the Indian team. Araijeet Singh Hundal and Uttam Singh have been India`s most successful forwards in the event so far with five and four goals respectively. Hundal has scored both field goals and off penalty corners and India will depend on him and defender Sanjay to do the bulk of the scoring. Sharda Nand Tiwari is another one who has been successful with his penalty corners. The Indians will have to guard against conceding early goals as they did against France and ensure that they defend deep and don't allow Belgium to take control of the midfield. IN PICS: From Neeraj Chopra to Mithali Raj: List of athletes who won Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021 Coach Reid accepted that his boys will have to be calm and composed during the entire match and should play with discipline and not get too many cards as they did against Poland. The hosts will take heart from India's victory against Belgium in the final of the 2016 edition at Lucknow. Though those were two different teams. "It does give us a boost that we are going into the match as defending champions but that is not a lot. Every tournament is different from another. What matters more is how you play on the day and what gives you more confidence in the fact that we have prepared well, played, and stayed together for months," said defender Yashdeep Siwach. India does have an edge in head-to-head, having won four of the five matches against Belgium in the U-21 stage. In other quarter-final matches on Wednesday, six-time champions Germany take on European rivals Spain, the Netherlands, looking to win their first title in the Junior World Cup, meet Argentina while France face Malaysia in third quarter-final.

FIH Junior World Cup: Defending champions India to face Belgium in quarter-finals

Olympic Silver medalists Belgium defeated the Netherlands on Sunday to clinch its maiden FIH Hockey World Cup title at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

As both teams failed to score in the regulation time followed by a penalty shootout which also ended with a score of 2-2, Belgium reached its first World Cup final after defeating three-time champions Netherlands 3-2 via sudden death.

The Belgians started celebrating after Arthur de Sloover netted in their fifth chance in the penalty shootout, which they thought had ended 3-2 in their favour. But the goal was disallowed after the TV umpire found that the ball hit his foot.&nbsp;

The game had to resume.

In the sudden death, Florent van Aubel scored for Belgium and the Netherlands’ Jeroen Hertzberger missed. Belgium celebrated again and this time for real.

Earlier, Belgium and the Netherlands played out a goalless draw in regulation time.

The Dutch had two penalty corners within the last three minutes of the first half but couldn’t score off them.

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Champions of the World! 👏🙌<a href="https://twitter.com/BELRedLions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BELRedLions</a> lift the amazing cup. What a moment! 
Odisha <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HWC2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HWC2018</a> Bhubaneswar 
📸FIH/<a href="https://twitter.com/GettySport?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GettySport</a> <a href="https://t.co/MhheKCn1Kp">pic.twitter.com/MhheKCn1Kp</a>
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&nbsp;

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No words needed !!!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/RoarForGold?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#RoarForGold</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldChampion?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldChampion</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Hockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Hockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/CPR0tODdXm">pic.twitter.com/CPR0tODdXm</a>
— Belgian Red Lions (@BELRedLions) <a href="https://twitter.com/BELRedLions/status/1074333252268290048?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Earlier in the day, last edition champions Australia secured a consolation bronze medal after mauling England 8-1. Three goals came from the stick of Tom Craig while Jeremy Hayward struck twice for Australia in the bronze medal play-off.&nbsp;

Olympic Silver medalists Belgium defeated the Netherlands on Sunday to clinch its maiden FIH Hockey World Cup title at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. As both teams failed to score in the regulation time followed by a penalty shootout which also ended with a score of 2-2, Belgium reached its first World Cup final after defeating three-time champions Netherlands 3-2 via sudden death.

Olympic Silver medalists Belgium defeated the Netherlands on Sunday to clinch its maiden FIH Hockey World Cup title at Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. As both teams failed to score in the regulation time followed by a penalty shootout which also ended with a score of 2-2, Belgium reached its first World Cup final after defeating three-time champions Netherlands 3-2 via sudden death. The Belgians started celebrating after Arthur de Sloover netted in their fifth chance in the penalty shootout, which they thought had ended 3-2 in their favour. But the goal was disallowed after the TV umpire found that the ball hit his foot. The game had to resume. In the sudden death, Florent van Aubel scored for Belgium and the Netherlands’ Jeroen Hertzberger missed. Belgium celebrated again and this time for real. Earlier, Belgium and the Netherlands played out a goalless draw in regulation time. The Dutch had two penalty corners within the last three minutes of the first half but couldn’t score off them. Champions of the World! 👏🙌@BELRedLions lift the amazing cup. What a moment! Odisha #HWC2018 Bhubaneswar 📸FIH/@GettySport pic.twitter.com/MhheKCn1Kp — International Hockey Federation (@FIH_Hockey) December 16, 2018 × No words needed !!!#RoarForGold #WorldChampion #Hockey pic.twitter.com/CPR0tODdXm — Belgian Red Lions (@BELRedLions) December 16, 2018 × Earlier in the day, last edition champions Australia secured a consolation bronze medal after mauling England 8-1. Three goals came from the stick of Tom Craig while Jeremy Hayward struck twice for Australia in the bronze medal play-off.

Belgium beat Netherlands in dramatic shootout to win Hockey World Cup 2018

The nail-biting clash between India and Belgium ended in a 2-2 draw after the Red Lions equalised in the last minutes of the game, following a poor defensive performance by the Indian backline on Sunday.

India, who mounted a comeback of sorts against Belgium after trailing early on against the visitors, were leading when only seven minutes were remaining for the game to end.&nbsp;

The 'Men in Blue' got the upper hand following a brilliant goal by Simranjeet Singh, who has been sensational in the tournament so far.

Earlier, the team which went goalless in the first two quarters scored the equaliser, thanks to a deft goal by Harmanpreet Singh.&nbsp;

Belgium, which had the maximum possession in the game, were on attacking mode since the first pass and that was the reason they managed to register&nbsp;an early goal. The team scored in the first quarter following a slick finish by the attackers who have dominated the entire game.&nbsp;

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🏑 | The celebrations continue 😻 with fans!<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HWC2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HWC2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Odisha2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Odisha2018</a> 
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At a point, India had the chances of defeating Belgium, but the attackers struggled to make their presence felt in a vital clash like today. &nbsp;&nbsp;

The team will next face Canada in their final Pool C match on December 8, while Belgium will play South Africa on the same day.

The nail-biting clash between India and Belgium ended in a 2-2 draw after the Red Lions equalised in the last minutes of the game, following a poor defensive performance by the Indian backline on Sunday.

The nail-biting clash between India and Belgium ended in a 2-2 draw after the Red Lions equalised in the last minutes of the game, following a poor defensive performance by the Indian backline on Sunday. India, who mounted a comeback of sorts against Belgium after trailing early on against the visitors, were leading when only seven minutes were remaining for the game to end. The 'Men in Blue' got the upper hand following a brilliant goal by Simranjeet Singh, who has been sensational in the tournament so far. Earlier, the team which went goalless in the first two quarters scored the equaliser, thanks to a deft goal by Harmanpreet Singh. Belgium, which had the maximum possession in the game, were on attacking mode since the first pass and that was the reason they managed to register an early goal. The team scored in the first quarter following a slick finish by the attackers who have dominated the entire game. 🏑 | The celebrations continue 😻 with fans!#HWC2018 #Odisha2018 🇮🇳 #INDvBEL 🇧🇪 pic.twitter.com/z925zQIYp4 — Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) December 2, 2018 × At a point, India had the chances of defeating Belgium, but the attackers struggled to make their presence felt in a vital clash like today. The team will next face Canada in their final Pool C match on December 8, while Belgium will play South Africa on the same day.

Hockey World Cup 2018: India, Belgium settle for 2-2 draw

Weighing under a sea of expectations to regain the title after 43 years, India will have to top their pool to have a realistic chance of breaking their World Cup jinx, said High Performance Director David John on Thursday.

Ranked fifth, India are placed in Pool C alongside current Olympic silver medallist and world no. 3 Belgium, South Africa and Canada.

John said India will need to beat Belgium in the pool stages to avoid cross-over round and directly qualify for the quarterfinals to enhance their chances.

"We have a very balanced team and conditions are also in our favour. There is tremendous expectations from us and we know that. But we need to top our pool. We need to beat Belgium and avoid cross-overs," John told PTI.

India will open their campaign against South Africa on November 28 before squaring off against Belgium and Canada on October 2 and October 8 respectively.

Citing the example of the women's World Cup where India had to play the cross-overs after finishing third in their pool, the exercise physiologist-turned High Performance Director said an extra game plays a big part in such a long tournament.

In the women's hockey World Cup held in London earlier this year, India entered the quarterfinals via the cross-over route but failed to cross the last-eight hurdle, losing to Ireland in penalty shoot-off.

"Take the example of our women's team, we made the quarterfinals after winning our cross-over match but that extra match drained our girls. That extra match will always take a toll on the fitness of the players," said the Australian.

"So we need to avoid cross-overs and win against Belgium."

Only last month, John was dropped from the men's senior selection panel for showing "bias" against some senior players and preferring juniors, but the

Hockey India selectors seemed to have heeded to some extent to the Australian's views while selecting the World Cup side.

Hockey India named a relatively mixed team for the World Cup, leaving out senior players like Rupinder Pal Singh, SV Sunil and Ramandeep Singh. 
Even though he was not part of the selection panel, John seemed quite satisfied with the squad.

"It's not a young team, it's a mixture of youth and experience. We now have depth in the side. We don't have Rupinder but Varun (Kumar) is there to take his place. Dilpreet (Singh) has come of age in the absence of Ramandeep. So we now have the bench strength," John said.

"Rupinder is not fit. He suffered an injury on his knee during the camp and is not 100 per cent fit. Same goes with Ramandeep. The closest to retain full fitness was Sunil," he added.

Veteran midfielder Sardar Singh, who announced his retirement after the Asian Games, has blamed John and former coach Sjoerd Marijne for his sudden decision to quit.

Asked about the accusation, John only said: "We need to look forward and create adequate bench strength keeping in mind 2020 Olympics."

Weighing under a sea of expectations to regain the title after 43 years, India will have to top their pool to have a realistic chance of breaking their World Cup jinx, said High Performance Director David John on Thursday.

Weighing under a sea of expectations to regain the title after 43 years, India will have to top their pool to have a realistic chance of breaking their World Cup jinx, said High Performance Director David John on Thursday. Ranked fifth, India are placed in Pool C alongside current Olympic silver medallist and world no. 3 Belgium, South Africa and Canada. John said India will need to beat Belgium in the pool stages to avoid cross-over round and directly qualify for the quarterfinals to enhance their chances. "We have a very balanced team and conditions are also in our favour. There is tremendous expectations from us and we know that. But we need to top our pool. We need to beat Belgium and avoid cross-overs," John told PTI. India will open their campaign against South Africa on November 28 before squaring off against Belgium and Canada on October 2 and October 8 respectively. Citing the example of the women's World Cup where India had to play the cross-overs after finishing third in their pool, the exercise physiologist-turned High Performance Director said an extra game plays a big part in such a long tournament. In the women's hockey World Cup held in London earlier this year, India entered the quarterfinals via the cross-over route but failed to cross the last-eight hurdle, losing to Ireland in penalty shoot-off. "Take the example of our women's team, we made the quarterfinals after winning our cross-over match but that extra match drained our girls. That extra match will always take a toll on the fitness of the players," said the Australian. "So we need to avoid cross-overs and win against Belgium." Only last month, John was dropped from the men's senior selection panel for showing "bias" against some senior players and preferring juniors, but the Hockey India selectors seemed to have heeded to some extent to the Australian's views while selecting the World Cup side. Hockey India named a relatively mixed team for the World Cup, leaving out senior players like Rupinder Pal Singh, SV Sunil and Ramandeep Singh. Even though he was not part of the selection panel, John seemed quite satisfied with the squad. "It's not a young team, it's a mixture of youth and experience. We now have depth in the side. We don't have Rupinder but Varun (Kumar) is there to take his place. Dilpreet (Singh) has come of age in the absence of Ramandeep. So we now have the bench strength," John said. "Rupinder is not fit. He suffered an injury on his knee during the camp and is not 100 per cent fit. Same goes with Ramandeep. The closest to retain full fitness was Sunil," he added. Veteran midfielder Sardar Singh, who announced his retirement after the Asian Games, has blamed John and former coach Sjoerd Marijne for his sudden decision to quit. Asked about the accusation, John only said: "We need to look forward and create adequate bench strength keeping in mind 2020 Olympics."

Hockey World Cup: 'India need to beat Belgium and top pool to be podium contenders'