Jeroen Hertzberger scored a hat-trick to help last edition silver medallist Netherlands spank a hapless Malaysia 7-0 in a lopsided opening Pool D encounter at the ongoing men's hockey World Cup here on Saturday.&nbsp;

Asian Games silver medallist Malaysia, coached by legendary Dutchman Roelant Oltmans, were expected to produce a fight but the world number 4 Netherlands turned out to be a much superior opponent.

Besides Hertzberger (11th, 29th, 60th minutes), Mirco Pruijser (21st), Mink van der Weerden (35th), Robbert Kemperman and Thierry Brinkman (57th) were the other goal scorers for the three-time champions.

Also Read | <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-hockey-world-cup-2018-netherlands-vs-malaysia-180681">As it happened: Netherlands 7-0 Malaysia</a>

The Dutch, who are eyeing a fourth World Cup title, turned out to be too hot for Malaysia to handle as they toyed with the opposition defence and scored goals at will on a miserable night for their Asian rival.

The Netherlands created chances at will and if not for the veteran Malaysian goalkeeper Kumar Subramaniam's heroics, the margin of defeat could have been bigger for the Asian side.

Subramaniam hardly got any help from his defenders and was forced to make numerous saves.

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It was a horrendous display from the Malaysians in all departments of the game. There was hardly any co-ordination between their defenders, midfielders and forwards, which helped the Dutch to snatch the ball whenever they wanted, before going for the kill.

The gap in quality between the two sides can be gauged from the fact that Netherlands had 29 shots at the goal as against Malaysia's just three.&nbsp;

Placed in the 'pool of death' because of the presence of three former champions in Netherlands, Germany and Pakistan, it could be a herculean task for a demolarised

Malaysia to make a comeback in the tournament after Saturday's heavy defeat.

Malaysia will next play Pakistan on December 5, while the Netherlands will be up against Germany.&nbsp;

Jeroen Hertzberger scored a hat-trick to help last edition silver medallist Netherlands spank a hapless Malaysia 7-0 in a lopsided opening Pool D encounter at the ongoing men's hockey World Cup here on Saturday.

Jeroen Hertzberger scored a hat-trick to help last edition silver medallist Netherlands spank a hapless Malaysia 7-0 in a lopsided opening Pool D encounter at the ongoing men's hockey World Cup here on Saturday. Asian Games silver medallist Malaysia, coached by legendary Dutchman Roelant Oltmans, were expected to produce a fight but the world number 4 Netherlands turned out to be a much superior opponent. Besides Hertzberger (11th, 29th, 60th minutes), Mirco Pruijser (21st), Mink van der Weerden (35th), Robbert Kemperman and Thierry Brinkman (57th) were the other goal scorers for the three-time champions. Also Read | As it happened: Netherlands 7-0 Malaysia The Dutch, who are eyeing a fourth World Cup title, turned out to be too hot for Malaysia to handle as they toyed with the opposition defence and scored goals at will on a miserable night for their Asian rival. The Netherlands created chances at will and if not for the veteran Malaysian goalkeeper Kumar Subramaniam's heroics, the margin of defeat could have been bigger for the Asian side. Subramaniam hardly got any help from his defenders and was forced to make numerous saves. 🏑 | POTM | @jeroenhertz | @oranjehockey #HWC2018 #Odisha2018 🇳🇱 #NEDvMAS 🇲🇾 pic.twitter.com/Gp7UtngW1p — Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) December 1, 2018 src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"> × It was a horrendous display from the Malaysians in all departments of the game. There was hardly any co-ordination between their defenders, midfielders and forwards, which helped the Dutch to snatch the ball whenever they wanted, before going for the kill. The gap in quality between the two sides can be gauged from the fact that Netherlands had 29 shots at the goal as against Malaysia's just three. Placed in the 'pool of death' because of the presence of three former champions in Netherlands, Germany and Pakistan, it could be a herculean task for a demolarised Malaysia to make a comeback in the tournament after Saturday's heavy defeat. Malaysia will next play Pakistan on December 5, while the Netherlands will be up against Germany.

Jeroen Hertzberger scores hat-trick as Netherlands vanquish Malaysia 7-0

Their World Cup campaign off to a bright start, India will be optimistic of clearing a stern test awaiting them Sunday in the form of world number three Belgium, to guarantee a direct entry into the quarterfinals.&nbsp;

Seeking to rewrite history after 43 years, the Indian men's hockey team made a strong start in the elite 16-nation tournament, with a 5-0 thrashing of South Africa on Wednesday.&nbsp;

Rio Olympic silver medallist Belgium were far from impressive in their fighting 2-1 win over lowly Canada.&nbsp;

Eight-time Olympic champions India's only World Cup crown came way back in 1975.&nbsp;

The hosts produced a fine display of attacking hockey to outclass South Africa and would look to continue in the same vein, although consistency is something India has always lacked.&nbsp;

Come Sunday, the Indians will have to be at their best in all departments to get the better of the ever-improving Red Lions, who will be out to prove a point after a not-so-impressive opener.&nbsp;

The Indian forward line comprising Mandeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Akashdeep Singh and Lalit Upadhyay impressed against South Africa. While Simranjeet scored a brace, all three other strikers struck a goal each.&nbsp;

The Manpreet Singh-led midfield and the backline too did a decent job the other day but defenders Harmanpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Surender Kumar and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will have to be on their toes against the attacking Belgians.&nbsp;

World number five India would also look to better their head-to-head record against Belgium. Since 2013, both teams have played against each other on 19 occasions with India registering five wins as against Belgium's 13. One ended in a draw.&nbsp;

The last time the two teams played each other was in the final edition of the Champions Trophy earlier this year in Breda, Netherlands where India conceded a late goal to settle for a 1-1 draw.&nbsp;

The magnitude of a World Cup match is different and both teams are aware that a single mistake can ruin their hopes and aspirations.&nbsp;

Going into the match, penalty corner conversion remains a concern for both the teams as India made use of only one out of five against South Africa, while Belgium wasted the two set pieces that came their way against Canada.&nbsp;

India scored from an indirect try by Mandeep from the penalty corner as Harmanpreet's direct flick failed to crash into the opposition net.&nbsp;

But India's chief coach Harendra Singh is not that worried about the lack of direct goals from penalty corners, saying he is happy as long as goals are coming.&nbsp;

"We scored a mixture of beautiful field goals and penalty corners. Yes, we didn't score direct from penalty corners but how we score doesn't matter," Harendra had said.&nbsp;

The coach said against Belgium the Indian strikers will need to capitalise on the chances the way they did against South Africa.&nbsp;

"If you think only about goals then you run for the goals and forget your basics and structure. You need to avail the opportunity that comes your way," he added.&nbsp;

Belgium has made giant strides in world hockey in the last decade and has been among the top teams but a big title has eluded them.&nbsp;

Having scored less in their opener, Belgium coach Shane McLoed said the game against India is a "must-win" for them if they are to top Pool C and avoid cross-overs.&nbsp;

"We have got the three points. We may not have the goal difference we wanted so the game against India becomes a must-win game for us," he said.

"The game against India would demand us to take a step or a couple of steps up otherwise we can't be competitive."

In another Pool C match, Canada will play South Africa.

Their World Cup campaign off to a bright start, India will be optimistic of clearing a stern test awaiting them Sunday in the form of world number three Belgium, to guarantee a direct entry into the quarterfinals.

Their World Cup campaign off to a bright start, India will be optimistic of clearing a stern test awaiting them Sunday in the form of world number three Belgium, to guarantee a direct entry into the quarterfinals. Seeking to rewrite history after 43 years, the Indian men's hockey team made a strong start in the elite 16-nation tournament, with a 5-0 thrashing of South Africa on Wednesday. Rio Olympic silver medallist Belgium were far from impressive in their fighting 2-1 win over lowly Canada. Eight-time Olympic champions India's only World Cup crown came way back in 1975. The hosts produced a fine display of attacking hockey to outclass South Africa and would look to continue in the same vein, although consistency is something India has always lacked. Come Sunday, the Indians will have to be at their best in all departments to get the better of the ever-improving Red Lions, who will be out to prove a point after a not-so-impressive opener. The Indian forward line comprising Mandeep Singh, Simranjeet Singh, Akashdeep Singh and Lalit Upadhyay impressed against South Africa. While Simranjeet scored a brace, all three other strikers struck a goal each. The Manpreet Singh-led midfield and the backline too did a decent job the other day but defenders Harmanpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Surender Kumar and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh will have to be on their toes against the attacking Belgians. World number five India would also look to better their head-to-head record against Belgium. Since 2013, both teams have played against each other on 19 occasions with India registering five wins as against Belgium's 13. One ended in a draw. The last time the two teams played each other was in the final edition of the Champions Trophy earlier this year in Breda, Netherlands where India conceded a late goal to settle for a 1-1 draw. The magnitude of a World Cup match is different and both teams are aware that a single mistake can ruin their hopes and aspirations. Going into the match, penalty corner conversion remains a concern for both the teams as India made use of only one out of five against South Africa, while Belgium wasted the two set pieces that came their way against Canada. India scored from an indirect try by Mandeep from the penalty corner as Harmanpreet's direct flick failed to crash into the opposition net. But India's chief coach Harendra Singh is not that worried about the lack of direct goals from penalty corners, saying he is happy as long as goals are coming. "We scored a mixture of beautiful field goals and penalty corners. Yes, we didn't score direct from penalty corners but how we score doesn't matter," Harendra had said. The coach said against Belgium the Indian strikers will need to capitalise on the chances the way they did against South Africa. "If you think only about goals then you run for the goals and forget your basics and structure. You need to avail the opportunity that comes your way," he added. Belgium has made giant strides in world hockey in the last decade and has been among the top teams but a big title has eluded them. Having scored less in their opener, Belgium coach Shane McLoed said the game against India is a "must-win" for them if they are to top Pool C and avoid cross-overs. "We have got the three points. We may not have the goal difference we wanted so the game against India becomes a must-win game for us," he said. "The game against India would demand us to take a step or a couple of steps up otherwise we can't be competitive." In another Pool C match, Canada will play South Africa.

Stern Belgium test awaits India after SA demolition

England hockey team were stunned in their campaign opener of the 14th edition of hockey World Cup by debutants China on Friday at Odisha's Kalinga Stadium.&nbsp;

The high-octane match became intriguing in the fourth and final quarter which saw multiple ups and down for both the team.

In the first quarter, China's striker Guo Xiaoping hammered team's first goal which was equalised by England's Mark Gleghorne with the help of a penalty corner.

China's men's hockey team's best result in the sport to date is a silver medal finish at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and after the thirling entry in the World cup, the team is definitely in the title race.

After two goalless quarters, England got a breakthrough in the 48th minute as Liam Ansell scored but in a turn of events, China's Talake Du netted the equalizer in a nail-biting finish.

Talake Du was given the player of the match for his crucial contribution to his team.

China's South Korean coach Sang Ryul Kim praised the lion-hearted efforts of his men, saying the result came as a "surprise" to him.&nbsp;

"We came here with no high expectation as we are making our debut. What we wanted was to show fight and we did that today. It was a gritty performance from the boys and it was a good surprise to see us score 2 goals today," Kim said after the match.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-hockey-world-cup-2018-england-vs-china-180490">As it happened | England 2-2 China</a>

Unusual as it may sound but China, for all its sporting culture, provinces and gargantuan size, had to pick all its 18 hockey World Cup-bound players from one province.

Very few people know that the country's entire 18-member men's hockey team belongs to just one province -&nbsp;Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. China is made up of 34 provinces.

The modern game started in China in the mid-1970s.

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The Chinese players were eager to take a photo to mark the occasion of their first ever Hockey World Cup match, after the team drew against <a href="https://twitter.com/EnglandHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@EnglandHockey</a> in their opening match of the OHMWC Bhubaneswar 2018.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HWC2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HWC2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ENGvCHN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ENGvCHN</a> <a href="https://t.co/wG6wqjKNY6">pic.twitter.com/wG6wqjKNY6</a>
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In the other hard-fought Pool B match, which was between Australia and Ireland, Kookaburras defeated Ireland 2-1.

Next, China will face Ireland on December 4 and England will meet Australia on the same date.

England hockey team were stunned in their campaign opener of the 14th edition of hockey World Cup by debutants China on Friday at Odisha's Kalinga Stadium. The high-octane match became intriguing in the fourth and final quarter which saw multiple ups and down for both the team.

England hockey team were stunned in their campaign opener of the 14th edition of hockey World Cup by debutants China on Friday at Odisha's Kalinga Stadium. The high-octane match became intriguing in the fourth and final quarter which saw multiple ups and down for both the team. In the first quarter, China's striker Guo Xiaoping hammered team's first goal which was equalised by England's Mark Gleghorne with the help of a penalty corner. China's men's hockey team's best result in the sport to date is a silver medal finish at the 2006 Doha Asian Games and after the thirling entry in the World cup, the team is definitely in the title race. After two goalless quarters, England got a breakthrough in the 48th minute as Liam Ansell scored but in a turn of events, China's Talake Du netted the equalizer in a nail-biting finish. Talake Du was given the player of the match for his crucial contribution to his team. China's South Korean coach Sang Ryul Kim praised the lion-hearted efforts of his men, saying the result came as a "surprise" to him. "We came here with no high expectation as we are making our debut. What we wanted was to show fight and we did that today. It was a gritty performance from the boys and it was a good surprise to see us score 2 goals today," Kim said after the match. Also Read: As it happened | England 2-2 China Unusual as it may sound but China, for all its sporting culture, provinces and gargantuan size, had to pick all its 18 hockey World Cup-bound players from one province. Very few people know that the country's entire 18-member men's hockey team belongs to just one province - Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. China is made up of 34 provinces. The modern game started in China in the mid-1970s. The Chinese players were eager to take a photo to mark the occasion of their first ever Hockey World Cup match, after the team drew against @EnglandHockey in their opening match of the OHMWC Bhubaneswar 2018.#IndiaKaGame #HWC2018 #DilHockey #ENGvCHN pic.twitter.com/wG6wqjKNY6 — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 30, 2018 × In the other hard-fought Pool B match, which was between Australia and Ireland, Kookaburras defeated Ireland 2-1. Next, China will face Ireland on December 4 and England will meet Australia on the same date.

Hockey: China hold England in World Cup debut match

Former skipper Sardar Singh is impressed with India's "dream" start to their campaign at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">hockey World Cup</a> and Friday hoped the hosts will continue the superb run to reclaim the coveted title after 43 years.&nbsp;

India registered a comprehensive 5-0 win against South Africa to make a sizzling start to the World Cup - a tournament the hosts won only once - in the 1975 edition at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.&nbsp;

"It has been a dream start for India at the hockey world cup. We played simple hockey and it is always important to win the first match," Sardar said during a sports-related event.

"However, the tournament has just begun and a lot of matches are yet to be played. I hope India continues the momentum," added the 32-year-old, who had retired from international hockey last September.&nbsp;

Sardar, who was the chief guest in the event, interacted with the participants and encouraged them for active participation in sports.&nbsp;

"It gives me immense pleasure to see these children excel in sports with passion and enthusiasm," he said.&nbsp;

Former skipper Sardar Singh is impressed with India's "dream" start to their campaign at the hockey World Cup and Friday hoped the hosts will continue the superb run to reclaim the coveted title after 43 years.

Former skipper Sardar Singh is impressed with India's "dream" start to their campaign at the hockey World Cup and Friday hoped the hosts will continue the superb run to reclaim the coveted title after 43 years. India registered a comprehensive 5-0 win against South Africa to make a sizzling start to the World Cup - a tournament the hosts won only once - in the 1975 edition at Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. "It has been a dream start for India at the hockey world cup. We played simple hockey and it is always important to win the first match," Sardar said during a sports-related event. "However, the tournament has just begun and a lot of matches are yet to be played. I hope India continues the momentum," added the 32-year-old, who had retired from international hockey last September. Sardar, who was the chief guest in the event, interacted with the participants and encouraged them for active participation in sports. "It gives me immense pleasure to see these children excel in sports with passion and enthusiasm," he said.

It has been a dream start for India at World Cup: Sardar Singh

Australia's quest for a record hat-trick of titles started with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ireland in the opening Pool B match of the men's hockey World Cup here on Friday.&nbsp;

Having won the back-to-back World Cups in 2010 and 2014, world no.1 Australia came into the ongoing tournament as a firm favourite but they were far from impressive and were made to toil hard by Ireland in their opener.

World no. 10 Ireland gave Australia a run for their money with impressive display in both attack and defence. The Kookaburras were dismal with penalty corners, converting just one out of five.

Blake Govers (11th minute) and Tim Brand scored for the winners, while Ireland's lone goal came from the sticks of Shane O'Donoghue.

Ten places might separate the two teams, but the Irish fought valiantly and matched the title holders stick-for-stick in the first two quarters.

In fact, it was Ireland who had the first shot at the goal and Australia goalie Andrew Charter had to come up with a double save to deny Sean Murray and then Matthew Nelson from the rebound in the fourth minute.

Also Read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-hockey-world-cup-2018-australia-vs-ireland-180454">As it happened | Australia 2-1 Ireland</a>

Australia grew in confidence as time passed by and earned a penalty stroke in the 11th minute but the umpire's decision was changed to penalty corner after Ireland asked for video referral.

From the resultant penalty corner, Australia secured another and this time Govers' flick found the back of the Irish net.

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But Australia's lead lasted just two minutes as Ireland drew level when O'Donoghue scored after he was set up by Murray, who dribbled past two defenders to pass the ball on to the goal scorer.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mens-hockey-world-cup-2018-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-177870">Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

The second quarter too produced exciting hockey as both the teams went on the offensive and it was Australia who came close to scoring, but Ireland captain David Harte made a fine save in front of the post to deny Dylan Wotherspoon.

Five minutes into the quarter, Ireland secured their first penalty corner and Charter came to Australia's rescue and kept out O'Donoghue's attempt.

Towards the end of the second quarter, Australia secured back-to-back penalty corners but wasted both as the two teams went into the halfway break locked at 1-1.

Australia restored their lead four minutes after the breather through Brand. Corey Weyer's workmanship in the midfield finally helped Australia when his inch-perfect through ball found Brand unmarked inside the box and the striker scored from his second attempt.

Australia's quest for a record hat-trick of titles started with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ireland in the opening Pool B match of the men's hockey World Cup here on Friday.

Australia's quest for a record hat-trick of titles started with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ireland in the opening Pool B match of the men's hockey World Cup here on Friday. Having won the back-to-back World Cups in 2010 and 2014, world no.1 Australia came into the ongoing tournament as a firm favourite but they were far from impressive and were made to toil hard by Ireland in their opener. World no. 10 Ireland gave Australia a run for their money with impressive display in both attack and defence. The Kookaburras were dismal with penalty corners, converting just one out of five. Blake Govers (11th minute) and Tim Brand scored for the winners, while Ireland's lone goal came from the sticks of Shane O'Donoghue. Ten places might separate the two teams, but the Irish fought valiantly and matched the title holders stick-for-stick in the first two quarters. In fact, it was Ireland who had the first shot at the goal and Australia goalie Andrew Charter had to come up with a double save to deny Sean Murray and then Matthew Nelson from the rebound in the fourth minute. Also Read: As it happened | Australia 2-1 Ireland Australia grew in confidence as time passed by and earned a penalty stroke in the 11th minute but the umpire's decision was changed to penalty corner after Ireland asked for video referral. From the resultant penalty corner, Australia secured another and this time Govers' flick found the back of the Irish net. 📸 | If you missed out on the match, here are some amazing moments from the game.#HWC2018 #Odisha2018 🇦🇺 #AUSvIRL 🇮🇪 pic.twitter.com/LfJiLREAwr — Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) November 30, 2018 × But Australia's lead lasted just two minutes as Ireland drew level when O'Donoghue scored after he was set up by Murray, who dribbled past two defenders to pass the ball on to the goal scorer. Also Read | Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue The second quarter too produced exciting hockey as both the teams went on the offensive and it was Australia who came close to scoring, but Ireland captain David Harte made a fine save in front of the post to deny Dylan Wotherspoon. Five minutes into the quarter, Ireland secured their first penalty corner and Charter came to Australia's rescue and kept out O'Donoghue's attempt. Towards the end of the second quarter, Australia secured back-to-back penalty corners but wasted both as the two teams went into the halfway break locked at 1-1. Australia restored their lead four minutes after the breather through Brand. Corey Weyer's workmanship in the midfield finally helped Australia when his inch-perfect through ball found Brand unmarked inside the box and the striker scored from his second attempt.

Defending champions Australia struggle past Ireland 2-1 in World Cup opener

Unusual as it may sound but China, for all its sporting culture, provinces and gargantuan size, had to pick all its 18 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">hockey World Cup</a>-bound players from one province, the name of which sounds similar to that of its neighbouring country.&nbsp;

Very few people know that the country's entire 18-member men's hockey team belongs to just one province -&nbsp;Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. China is made up of 34 provinces.

China's men's hockey team is making its debut at the World Cup here and its best result in the sport to date is a silver medal finish at the 2006 Doha Asian Games.

What has caught the attention is that all the 18 players representing China in the ongoing World Cup hail from the Inner Mongolia province.

Hockey is not that popular in China. It is most common among the Daur people, who have been playing a traditional sport called 'Beikou', a game similar to field hockey, for about 1,000 years.

The modern game started in China in the mid-1970s.

"Yes, all players from the team are from Inner Mongolia. They all are from just one club and one province," China's South Korean coach Sang Ryul Kim told PTI.

Kim, who guided his own country South Korea to a silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and mentored China to beat India and Pakistan before claiming the Doha Asiad silver, has got a wealth of experience as a coach.

"Hockey is most popular in that region of China. Hockey is similar to a traditional sport of that region named 'Beikou', so these players have easily adapted to the game," he added.

China will make its World Cup debut against England in a Pool B match on Friday and the coach said his players have the capability to cause an upset or two in the tournament if they turn out on the turf without any fear.

"They have the fitness. They have the mental strength. The only problem with our players is that they have very less experience of playing against strong teams. That's the only weakness," Kim said.

"If they (Chinese players) are worried and doubtful on the pitch, they can't do anything. If they are confident, they can do something," he added.

Unusual as it may sound but China, for all its sporting culture, provinces and gargantuan size, had to pick all its 18 hockey World Cup-bound players from one province, the name of which sounds similar to that of its neighbouring country.

Unusual as it may sound but China, for all its sporting culture, provinces and gargantuan size, had to pick all its 18 hockey World Cup-bound players from one province, the name of which sounds similar to that of its neighbouring country. Very few people know that the country's entire 18-member men's hockey team belongs to just one province - Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. China is made up of 34 provinces. China's men's hockey team is making its debut at the World Cup here and its best result in the sport to date is a silver medal finish at the 2006 Doha Asian Games. What has caught the attention is that all the 18 players representing China in the ongoing World Cup hail from the Inner Mongolia province. Hockey is not that popular in China. It is most common among the Daur people, who have been playing a traditional sport called 'Beikou', a game similar to field hockey, for about 1,000 years. The modern game started in China in the mid-1970s. "Yes, all players from the team are from Inner Mongolia. They all are from just one club and one province," China's South Korean coach Sang Ryul Kim told PTI. Kim, who guided his own country South Korea to a silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Olympics and mentored China to beat India and Pakistan before claiming the Doha Asiad silver, has got a wealth of experience as a coach. "Hockey is most popular in that region of China. Hockey is similar to a traditional sport of that region named 'Beikou', so these players have easily adapted to the game," he added. China will make its World Cup debut against England in a Pool B match on Friday and the coach said his players have the capability to cause an upset or two in the tournament if they turn out on the turf without any fear. "They have the fitness. They have the mental strength. The only problem with our players is that they have very less experience of playing against strong teams. That's the only weakness," Kim said. "If they (Chinese players) are worried and doubtful on the pitch, they can't do anything. If they are confident, they can do something," he added.

China's World Cup team is made up of 18 players from one province

New Zealand defeated France 2-1 in a tight Pool A clash to open their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory at the Kalinga Stadium on Thursday.

Kane Russell scored for New Zealand in the 17th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead which was fursther extended by Stephen Jenness. He powered the ball home to extend the lead 2-0 in the fourth and final quarter with a controlled long pass.

Jenness was given player of the match for his crucial contribution to New Zealand's victory.

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mens-hockey-world-cup-2018-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-177870">Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

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🏑 | POTM | <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenJenness?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@StephenJenness</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/BlackSticks?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BlackSticks</a> <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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It seemed France wouldn't be able to open its account but in the concluding minutes, France earned a penalty corner and converted it but that was not enough, as the final score was 2-1.\

As it happened&nbsp;| <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-hockey-world-cup-2018-new-zealand-vs-france-180247">New Zealand vs France</a>

In the other match of Pool A, Olympic champions Argentina were made to dig deep to eke out a 4-3 win over Spain.

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🏆 | It is <a href="https://twitter.com/ArgFieldHockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArgFieldHockey</a> who top the pool on the second day of Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.<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> <a href="https://t.co/XbW16Wd8CH">pic.twitter.com/XbW16Wd8CH</a>
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France, making an appearance in the Men's Hockey World Cup after 28 years, will next meet Spain on December 6.

New Zealand defeated France 2-1 in a tight Pool A clash to open their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory at the Kalinga Stadium on Thursday. Kane Russell scored for New Zealand in the 17th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead which was fursther extended by Stephen Jenness.

New Zealand defeated France 2-1 in a tight Pool A clash to open their World Cup campaign with a hard-fought victory at the Kalinga Stadium on Thursday. Kane Russell scored for New Zealand in the 17th minute to give his team a 1-0 lead which was fursther extended by Stephen Jenness. He powered the ball home to extend the lead 2-0 in the fourth and final quarter with a controlled long pass. Jenness was given player of the match for his crucial contribution to New Zealand's victory. Also Read | Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue 🏑 | POTM | @StephenJenness | @BlackSticks #HWC2018 #Odisha2018 🇳🇿 #NZLvFRA 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/ukmLuVp4Cq — Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) November 29, 2018 × It seemed France wouldn't be able to open its account but in the concluding minutes, France earned a penalty corner and converted it but that was not enough, as the final score was 2-1.\ As it happened | New Zealand vs France In the other match of Pool A, Olympic champions Argentina were made to dig deep to eke out a 4-3 win over Spain. 🏆 | It is @ArgFieldHockey who top the pool on the second day of Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.#HWC2018 #Odisha2018 pic.twitter.com/XbW16Wd8CH — Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) November 29, 2018 × France, making an appearance in the Men's Hockey World Cup after 28 years, will next meet Spain on December 6.

Hockey World Cup 2018: New Zealand defeat France 2-1

Agustin Mazzilli and Gonzalo Peillat scored a brace each but Olympic champions Argentina were made to dig deep to eke out a 4-3 win over Spain in their Pool A match of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">hockey World Cup </a>here Thursday.&nbsp;

Six places may separate the two teams in world rankings but world number eight Spain gave Argentina, ranked second, a run for their money in the high-scoring match that produced end-to-end hockey.&nbsp;

The Los Leones had to dish out every trick from their arsenal to get the better of a fighting Spanish side, which matched their rivals in every department throughout.&nbsp;

Spain stunned the Argentines as early as in the third minute through young Enrique Gonzalez's fine field strike past Argentina goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi from a move which he only initiated.&nbsp;

But a minute later, Mazzilli drew level for Argentina, deflecting in a cross from the right wing past Spain's goalkeeper Quico Cortes.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mens-hockey-world-cup-2018-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-177870">Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venu</a>

Spain restored their lead in the 14th minute through a penalty corner conversion by Josep Romeu.&nbsp;

It was end-to-end battle as Mazzilli (15th minute) again came to Argentina's rescue, equalising 45 seconds from the first quarter after receiving a pass from Lucas Villa on the left side.&nbsp;

Just seconds away from the first break of the match, Argentina scored again when drag-flick specialist Peillat converted a penalty corner with precision to hand his side the lead for the first time in the game.&nbsp;

Both the teams played with same intensity and pace in the second quarter but failed to find the net.

As it happened | <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-hockey-world-cup-2018-argentina-vs-spain-180232">Argentina 4-3 Spain</a>

Five minutes after the change of ends, Spain equalised through Vicenc Ruiz's (35th) field strike.&nbsp;

The match went on similar lines in the fourth and final quarter with both Argentina and Spain pressing hard for more goals to secure full three points.&nbsp;

But it were the Argentines who succeeded in their effort when Peillatwas was again bang on target from another penalty corner in the 49th minute.&nbsp;

Thereafter, Spain dished out all the tricks, including withdrawing their goalkeeper for an extra player four minutes from the final hooter, but failed to breach the Argentina defence.&nbsp;

Argentina will play New Zealand in their next pool match on December 3, while Spain will be up against France.&nbsp;

Agustin Mazzilli and Gonzalo Peillat scored a brace each but Olympic champions Argentina were made to dig deep to eke out a 4-3 win over Spain in their Pool A match of the hockey World Cup here Thursday.

Agustin Mazzilli and Gonzalo Peillat scored a brace each but Olympic champions Argentina were made to dig deep to eke out a 4-3 win over Spain in their Pool A match of the hockey World Cup here Thursday. Six places may separate the two teams in world rankings but world number eight Spain gave Argentina, ranked second, a run for their money in the high-scoring match that produced end-to-end hockey. The Los Leones had to dish out every trick from their arsenal to get the better of a fighting Spanish side, which matched their rivals in every department throughout. Spain stunned the Argentines as early as in the third minute through young Enrique Gonzalez's fine field strike past Argentina goalkeeper Juan Vivaldi from a move which he only initiated. But a minute later, Mazzilli drew level for Argentina, deflecting in a cross from the right wing past Spain's goalkeeper Quico Cortes. Also Read | Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venu Spain restored their lead in the 14th minute through a penalty corner conversion by Josep Romeu. It was end-to-end battle as Mazzilli (15th minute) again came to Argentina's rescue, equalising 45 seconds from the first quarter after receiving a pass from Lucas Villa on the left side. Just seconds away from the first break of the match, Argentina scored again when drag-flick specialist Peillat converted a penalty corner with precision to hand his side the lead for the first time in the game. Both the teams played with same intensity and pace in the second quarter but failed to find the net. As it happened | Argentina 4-3 Spain Five minutes after the change of ends, Spain equalised through Vicenc Ruiz's (35th) field strike. The match went on similar lines in the fourth and final quarter with both Argentina and Spain pressing hard for more goals to secure full three points. But it were the Argentines who succeeded in their effort when Peillatwas was again bang on target from another penalty corner in the 49th minute. Thereafter, Spain dished out all the tricks, including withdrawing their goalkeeper for an extra player four minutes from the final hooter, but failed to breach the Argentina defence. Argentina will play New Zealand in their next pool match on December 3, while Spain will be up against France.

Olympic champions Argentina defeat Spain 4-3

Let's for a moment forget India's victory against South Africa, and imagine the Netherlands playing against Germany in the football World Cup in 1974, a tournament famous for the tactical approach called "total football".

In this new approach, no player has a fixed position - defender, sweeper, wingers all move up and down as the ball moves, confusing the opposition who don't know who to target. It was a tactic played to perfection by Johan Cruyff's Holland against Germany, but sadly the Orange shirts lost the final thus burying the flamboyant, free-flowing approach.

The beautiful game made "total football" famous, now India has the chance to adopt it and introduce "Indian elements" to potentially take the opposition by surprise. The new technique calls for shrewd organizational skill, pace and accuracy which have traditionally not been India's forte.

However, in this World Cup led by Manpreet Singh under coach Harendra Singh, India has the chance to surprise the top teams and the World. India has fallen off the radar in world hockey, the last the Indian team which won the World Cup was during&nbsp;the Emergency&nbsp;way back in 1975.

The astro turf killed India's game in the 80s as the European teams led by Germany, Australia, Netherlands took control of the game. India struggled with pace and their tendency to hold on to the ball and not adopting a fast-paced passing game like the Europeans led to defeats in the Olympics and several other lesser-known tournaments.&nbsp;

Suddenly, India wasn't feared anymore - a huge factor in sports. The loss of fear factor led successive Indian teams to lose confidence in themselves as they fell off the charts.

The Indian team hit an all-time low after the team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 for the first time ever. The eight-time gold medallist could not go any lower.&nbsp;

India started from scratch, in the last two years the team has again started to perform, led by the junior team which won the junior World Cup under Harendra Singh, the current coach of the national team at the World Cup.&nbsp;

The new approach towards "total hockey" will not be easy as it will test the physical agility of players, a trait Indian players are not well known for be it hockey or cricket. It needs a power approach, much like the way Europeans play their game combined with the skill and artistry of Cruff's Netherlands.

It calls for dismantling the game in the mind and adopting a new, fluid approach in which every player is a defender and an attacker - a destructive strategy built to win matches.

Hockey itself has changed over the years, the quarters and substituting players has revolutionised the game in the era of T20 cricket and quick-fix solutions. The game is waiting for a whole new approach, and what better than the inventors of the game coming up with an ultra modern approach turning the European style on its head.

In this, the frontline and defenders would have to be collapsed to keep pushing the ball up and whenever the opposition counter-attacks, players fall back into defensive positions.

India in this World Cup has little to lose except that they are playing at home in front of a crowd which views hockey as a game belonging to the bygone era when India was the world champion, a story which now seems a world away from reality.

An Indian defeat in this World Cup will once again take away fans which the game can ill-afford. The need of the hour is a new, dynamic style from the creators of the game.

Time for India to stand up and be counted.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Let's for a moment forget India's victory against South Africa, and imagine the Netherlands playing against Germany in the football World Cup in 1974, a tournament famous for the tactical approach called "total football".

Let's for a moment forget India's victory against South Africa, and imagine the Netherlands playing against Germany in the football World Cup in 1974, a tournament famous for the tactical approach called "total football". In this new approach, no player has a fixed position - defender, sweeper, wingers all move up and down as the ball moves, confusing the opposition who don't know who to target. It was a tactic played to perfection by Johan Cruyff's Holland against Germany, but sadly the Orange shirts lost the final thus burying the flamboyant, free-flowing approach. The beautiful game made "total football" famous, now India has the chance to adopt it and introduce "Indian elements" to potentially take the opposition by surprise. The new technique calls for shrewd organizational skill, pace and accuracy which have traditionally not been India's forte. However, in this World Cup led by Manpreet Singh under coach Harendra Singh, India has the chance to surprise the top teams and the World. India has fallen off the radar in world hockey, the last the Indian team which won the World Cup was during the Emergency way back in 1975. The astro turf killed India's game in the 80s as the European teams led by Germany, Australia, Netherlands took control of the game. India struggled with pace and their tendency to hold on to the ball and not adopting a fast-paced passing game like the Europeans led to defeats in the Olympics and several other lesser-known tournaments. Suddenly, India wasn't feared anymore - a huge factor in sports. The loss of fear factor led successive Indian teams to lose confidence in themselves as they fell off the charts. The Indian team hit an all-time low after the team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics in 2008 for the first time ever. The eight-time gold medallist could not go any lower. India started from scratch, in the last two years the team has again started to perform, led by the junior team which won the junior World Cup under Harendra Singh, the current coach of the national team at the World Cup. The new approach towards "total hockey" will not be easy as it will test the physical agility of players, a trait Indian players are not well known for be it hockey or cricket. It needs a power approach, much like the way Europeans play their game combined with the skill and artistry of Cruff's Netherlands. It calls for dismantling the game in the mind and adopting a new, fluid approach in which every player is a defender and an attacker - a destructive strategy built to win matches. Hockey itself has changed over the years, the quarters and substituting players has revolutionised the game in the era of T20 cricket and quick-fix solutions. The game is waiting for a whole new approach, and what better than the inventors of the game coming up with an ultra modern approach turning the European style on its head. In this, the frontline and defenders would have to be collapsed to keep pushing the ball up and whenever the opposition counter-attacks, players fall back into defensive positions. India in this World Cup has little to lose except that they are playing at home in front of a crowd which views hockey as a game belonging to the bygone era when India was the world champion, a story which now seems a world away from reality. An Indian defeat in this World Cup will once again take away fans which the game can ill-afford. The need of the hour is a new, dynamic style from the creators of the game. Time for India to stand up and be counted. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

'Total Hockey': India's new formula to win the World Cup

India is a closed chapter now for <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/malaysian-head-coach-roelant-oltmans-look-to-aim-for-podium-finish-179487">Roelant Oltmans</a> but the legendary Dutch coach said more than hurt he was surprised by the way he was unceremoniously shown the door by Hockey India, especially after investing his time in the country for nearly five years.

Oltmans came to India as High Performance Director in 2013 and played an instrumental role in reviving Indian hockey before taking up the position of men's team's chief coach.

Oltmans' association with Indian hockey for nearly five years came to an end in September last year after he was sacked by the national federation for lack of results.

"I was not hurt (about the sudden sacking). That is part of our coaching job but I must admit I was surprised," the 64-year-old master tactician told PTI in an exclusive interview here.

"There are certain moments people take decisions and you need to accept the decisions the way they are," said Oltmans, who is here as the head coach of Malaysian team participating in the World Cup.

During his time as a High Performance Director in India, Oltmans strengthened the grassroot level besides working with all the national teams, be it junior or senior, men or women.

He also worked with the domestic coaches, including current India chief coach Harendra Singh, and played a key role in restructuring the game in the country.

Some former players have even said that Indian hockey is currently reaping rewards for Oltmans' labour.

"I worked here (in India) for 5 years with a lot of pleasure. I enjoyed my stay here. India has a rich hockey history and I am satisfied that I could contribute something to Indian hockey's rebirth," Oltmans said.

"I am happy to see that Indian hockey in this period has grown. This is a new team with new group of people. I have worked with a lot of these players. I hope the best for India apart from one game (against his own team Malaysia if they face each other in knockout stages)."

Asked about India's podium chances at the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">World Cup</a>, Oltmans said: "I said it before that the winner of the World Cup will come from the top six teams of the world at the moment." 
India are currently ranked fifth in the world.

After the India sojourn, Oltmans was with Pakistan team on a two-year contract but resigned barely four months into the job.

After the Asian Games, Oltmans took over as Malaysia coach for a two-year tenure with an aim to help the side qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Malaysia missed a golden chance to seal their Olympic berth after losing to Japan in the final at the Asian Games earlier this year but the Dutchman said that episode, which he was not part of, is history now.

"Of course, it was a big disappointment but that is history now. We can't change history but we can change the future and that is what we will try here. The boys have talked about what went wrong there, but many things were right or else we won't be there in the final of the Asian Games," he said.

Malaysia are placed in what can be termed as pool of death at the ongoing World Cup alongside three former champion sides -- Pakistan, Germany and Netherlands -- in Pool D.

"We have set very simple targets. First is to survive in this pool of death. That's the challenge and we take it as a challenge. How we survive, it doesn't matter. Then, we will reset our goals for the next phase," Oltmans said.

He also feels that his knowledge about India and familiar weather conditions will help Malaysia in the World Cup.

"All the 16 teams are well prepared. Of course, it helps us that we are coming from Asia. We did not have to travel too much. We are used to weather conditions in this time of the year. But these are minor advantages because every team has prepared themselves to make sure they are the best and this is what World Cup is about," Oltmans signed off.

India is a closed chapter now for Roelant Oltmans but the legendary Dutch coach said more than hurt he was surprised by the way he was unceremoniously shown the door by Hockey India, especially after investing his time in the country for nearly five years.

India is a closed chapter now for Roelant Oltmans but the legendary Dutch coach said more than hurt he was surprised by the way he was unceremoniously shown the door by Hockey India, especially after investing his time in the country for nearly five years. Oltmans came to India as High Performance Director in 2013 and played an instrumental role in reviving Indian hockey before taking up the position of men's team's chief coach. Oltmans' association with Indian hockey for nearly five years came to an end in September last year after he was sacked by the national federation for lack of results. "I was not hurt (about the sudden sacking). That is part of our coaching job but I must admit I was surprised," the 64-year-old master tactician told PTI in an exclusive interview here. "There are certain moments people take decisions and you need to accept the decisions the way they are," said Oltmans, who is here as the head coach of Malaysian team participating in the World Cup. During his time as a High Performance Director in India, Oltmans strengthened the grassroot level besides working with all the national teams, be it junior or senior, men or women. He also worked with the domestic coaches, including current India chief coach Harendra Singh, and played a key role in restructuring the game in the country. Some former players have even said that Indian hockey is currently reaping rewards for Oltmans' labour. "I worked here (in India) for 5 years with a lot of pleasure. I enjoyed my stay here. India has a rich hockey history and I am satisfied that I could contribute something to Indian hockey's rebirth," Oltmans said. "I am happy to see that Indian hockey in this period has grown. This is a new team with new group of people. I have worked with a lot of these players. I hope the best for India apart from one game (against his own team Malaysia if they face each other in knockout stages)." Asked about India's podium chances at the World Cup, Oltmans said: "I said it before that the winner of the World Cup will come from the top six teams of the world at the moment." India are currently ranked fifth in the world. After the India sojourn, Oltmans was with Pakistan team on a two-year contract but resigned barely four months into the job. After the Asian Games, Oltmans took over as Malaysia coach for a two-year tenure with an aim to help the side qualify for 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Malaysia missed a golden chance to seal their Olympic berth after losing to Japan in the final at the Asian Games earlier this year but the Dutchman said that episode, which he was not part of, is history now. "Of course, it was a big disappointment but that is history now. We can't change history but we can change the future and that is what we will try here. The boys have talked about what went wrong there, but many things were right or else we won't be there in the final of the Asian Games," he said. Malaysia are placed in what can be termed as pool of death at the ongoing World Cup alongside three former champion sides -- Pakistan, Germany and Netherlands -- in Pool D. "We have set very simple targets. First is to survive in this pool of death. That's the challenge and we take it as a challenge. How we survive, it doesn't matter. Then, we will reset our goals for the next phase," Oltmans said. He also feels that his knowledge about India and familiar weather conditions will help Malaysia in the World Cup. "All the 16 teams are well prepared. Of course, it helps us that we are coming from Asia. We did not have to travel too much. We are used to weather conditions in this time of the year. But these are minor advantages because every team has prepared themselves to make sure they are the best and this is what World Cup is about," Oltmans signed off.

I was surprised by sudden ouster as India coach: Roelant Oltmans

In out-and-out striker, Akashdeep Singh excelled in the role of a linkman in India's hockey World Cup opener against South Africa and chief coach Harendra Singh on Wednesday said the forward was used in a new position because of his terrific peripheral vision.&nbsp;

Akashdeep impressed all and sundry in his new role as linkman by not only setting up a goal for Lalit Upadhyay but also scoring one in I<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-thrilling-start-for-india-as-they-vanquish-south-africa-5-0-180085">ndia's 5-0 </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-thrilling-start-for-india-as-they-vanquish-south-africa-5-0-180085">rout</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-thrilling-start-for-india-as-they-vanquish-south-africa-5-0-180085"> of South Africa</a> in their Pool C opener.&nbsp;

Asked about Akashdeep's performance, Harendra said: "He (Akashdeep) has very good peripheral vision and so we used him little down from his usual position as linkman. He is lethal as a linkman and we have three strikers floating inside the circle.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/world-cup-hockey-special-shah-rukh-and-indias-coach-harendra-singh-played-together-in-school-tournaments-179842">Shah Rukh and India's coach Harendra Singh played together in school tournaments</a>

"If you go back 15 years, Dhanraj (Pillay) changed his role from the 2002 World Cup. He became a playmaker and Deepak (Thakur) and Prabhjot (Singh) scored. I am very happy with Akash. He is taking the lead. In every department we have a leader. I hope we continue that way throughout the tournament," the visibly delighted coach added.

Harendra said keeping a clean slate was the most positive outcome from Wednesday's game.&nbsp;

Also Read |&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mens-hockey-world-cup-2018-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-177870">Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

"The match sheet, which is clean, is a positive sign. It means defence, i.e. All 11 for them, played well. They came out and snatched the ball at the right moment, didn't throw their sticks," he said.

India got five penalty corners on Wednesday but failed to score a single goal with a direct shot.

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"What matters for me is to score goals from penalty corners, it may come via direct shot or any other way and we did score twice from penalty corners today," he said.

Harendra admitted that after an impressive first half, India were a bit complacent in the third quarter, which allowed South Africa to create a few chances.&nbsp;

"I think during third quarter somewhere we were a little bit complacent," he said.

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"India would look to express themselves on the field and would make the best of the chances which they'll be dealt with," says coach <a href="https://twitter.com/HarendraSingh66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarendraSingh66</a> after India beats South Africa 5-0.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HWC2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HWC2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvRSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvRSA</a> <a href="https://t.co/SZtlwI9LIe">pic.twitter.com/SZtlwI9LIe</a>
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"The moment they were 2-0 down, they pulled one of their back three up to an extra midfielder. But we regrouped well (after surviving those chances). They were smelling one goal. But we didn't let that happen."&nbsp;

South Africa coach Mark Hokins was obviously disappointed with the outcome of the match.&nbsp;

"I am disappointed with the result. We didn't execute our plans. The difference in this level is to take your chances. We didn't and they (India) did. We need to take key moments in the game," he said.

In out-and-out striker, Akashdeep Singh excelled in the role of a linkman in India's hockey World Cup opener against South Africa and chief coach Harendra Singh on Wednesday said the forward was used in a new position because of his terrific peripheral vision.

In out-and-out striker, Akashdeep Singh excelled in the role of a linkman in India's hockey World Cup opener against South Africa and chief coach Harendra Singh on Wednesday said the forward was used in a new position because of his terrific peripheral vision. Akashdeep impressed all and sundry in his new role as linkman by not only setting up a goal for Lalit Upadhyay but also scoring one in India's 5-0 rout of South Africa in their Pool C opener. Asked about Akashdeep's performance, Harendra said: "He (Akashdeep) has very good peripheral vision and so we used him little down from his usual position as linkman. He is lethal as a linkman and we have three strikers floating inside the circle. Also Read | Shah Rukh and India's coach Harendra Singh played together in school tournaments "If you go back 15 years, Dhanraj (Pillay) changed his role from the 2002 World Cup. He became a playmaker and Deepak (Thakur) and Prabhjot (Singh) scored. I am very happy with Akash. He is taking the lead. In every department we have a leader. I hope we continue that way throughout the tournament," the visibly delighted coach added. Harendra said keeping a clean slate was the most positive outcome from Wednesday's game. Also Read | Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue "The match sheet, which is clean, is a positive sign. It means defence, i.e. All 11 for them, played well. They came out and snatched the ball at the right moment, didn't throw their sticks," he said. India got five penalty corners on Wednesday but failed to score a single goal with a direct shot. .@HarendraSingh66 explains how due to the demand of the game he has changed the role of @akashdeeps985 in time. He expressed how he's now playing as a link man and creating more chances for the team. #INDvRSA #IndiaKaGame #DilHockey #HWC2018 pic.twitter.com/1pRLfTNk4W — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 28, 2018 × "What matters for me is to score goals from penalty corners, it may come via direct shot or any other way and we did score twice from penalty corners today," he said. Harendra admitted that after an impressive first half, India were a bit complacent in the third quarter, which allowed South Africa to create a few chances. "I think during third quarter somewhere we were a little bit complacent," he said. "India would look to express themselves on the field and would make the best of the chances which they'll be dealt with," says coach @HarendraSingh66 after India beats South Africa 5-0.#DilHockey #HWC2018 #DilHockey #INDvRSA pic.twitter.com/SZtlwI9LIe — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 28, 2018 × "The moment they were 2-0 down, they pulled one of their back three up to an extra midfielder. But we regrouped well (after surviving those chances). They were smelling one goal. But we didn't let that happen." South Africa coach Mark Hokins was obviously disappointed with the outcome of the match. "I am disappointed with the result. We didn't execute our plans. The difference in this level is to take your chances. We didn't and they (India) did. We need to take key moments in the game," he said.

India's hockey coach explains how Akashdeep proved lethal in new role of linkman

WION Sports Special: Hockey Comes Home

Manpreet Singh-led India registered an outstanding victory against South Africa&nbsp;in their opener clash of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">2018 Hockey World Cup</a>.

With the help of three field goals and two penalty corners, India defeated South Africa 5-0 in the second match of the evening.

Team India are seeking&nbsp;to end 43-year-long medal drought in the 14th edition of Men's Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium.&nbsp;

Eight-time Olympic champions India's only glory at the World Cup came way back in 1975 when Ajit Pal Singh and his men's created history for the past masters of the game.&nbsp;

Since then India has failed to match the standards of the Europeans - Netherlands, Germany - and Australia, who have been ruling the game for over four decades now.&nbsp;

In the last 10 editions since its maiden triumph in 1975, India's best performance was a fifth-place finish at the 1982 edition in Mumbai (then Bombay).&nbsp;

Also Read | <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/mens-hockey-world-cup-2018-schedule-squad-time-and-venue-177870">Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue</a>

Simaranjeet Singh was awarded player of the match for scoring two crucial goals.

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🏑 | POTM | Simranjeet Singh | <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheHockeyIndia</a><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> 
🇮🇳 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/INDvRSA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#INDvRSA</a> 🇿🇦 <a href="https://t.co/IBMTc2twEy">pic.twitter.com/IBMTc2twEy</a>
— Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sports_odisha/status/1067797497014185984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">28 November 2018</a></blockquote>
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Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh and Lalit Upadhyay were the other goal scorers.

As it happened | <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/live-hockey-world-cup-2018-india-vs-south-africa-180030">India 5-0 South Africa</a>

'The wall of Indian hockey team', PR Sreejesh, might not have played his most difficult match today but the job is not done yet, bigger challenges are standing on the way as India will next face world number three Belgium in their second pool match on December 2.

Manpreet Singh-led India registered an outstanding victory against South Africa in their opener clash of 2018 Hockey World Cup. With the help of three field goals and two penalty corners, India defeated South Africa 5-0 in the second match of the evening.

Manpreet Singh-led India registered an outstanding victory against South Africa in their opener clash of 2018 Hockey World Cup. With the help of three field goals and two penalty corners, India defeated South Africa 5-0 in the second match of the evening. Team India are seeking to end 43-year-long medal drought in the 14th edition of Men's Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium. Eight-time Olympic champions India's only glory at the World Cup came way back in 1975 when Ajit Pal Singh and his men's created history for the past masters of the game. Since then India has failed to match the standards of the Europeans - Netherlands, Germany - and Australia, who have been ruling the game for over four decades now. In the last 10 editions since its maiden triumph in 1975, India's best performance was a fifth-place finish at the 1982 edition in Mumbai (then Bombay). Also Read | Men's Hockey World Cup 2018: Schedule, Squad, Time and Venue Simaranjeet Singh was awarded player of the match for scoring two crucial goals. 🏑 | POTM | Simranjeet Singh | @TheHockeyIndia#HWC2018 #Odisha2018 🇮🇳 #INDvRSA 🇿🇦 pic.twitter.com/IBMTc2twEy — Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) 28 November 2018 × Mandeep Singh, Akashdeep Singh and Lalit Upadhyay were the other goal scorers. As it happened | India 5-0 South Africa 'The wall of Indian hockey team', PR Sreejesh, might not have played his most difficult match today but the job is not done yet, bigger challenges are standing on the way as India will next face world number three Belgium in their second pool match on December 2.

Hockey World Cup: Thrilling start as India vanquish South Africa

Belgium defeated Canada 2-1 in the first match of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">Men's Hockey World Cup 2018</a> on Wednesday.

The Olympic silver medallist Belgium's created the pressure in the first quarter itself through a fine field strike by Felix Denayer in the third minute of the game.

In the second quarter, they did not only saved a penalty corner but also scored again, extending the lead to 2-0.

In the 12th minute, captain Thomas Briels found the back of the net again for Belgium but the goal was disallowed after Canada went for the referral, claiming the ball hit his hand before rolling on to the goal.&nbsp;

As it happened | <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-2018-belgium-vs-canada-180008">Belgium vs Canada</a>

However, he scored with a brilliant strike after he was set up by Arthur van Doren.&nbsp;

Doren was awarded player of the match for his overall performance during the match.

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🏑 | POTM | <a href="https://twitter.com/ArthurVDoren?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ArthurVDoren</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/BELRedLions?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@BELRedLions</a><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> 
🇧🇪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BELvCAN?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BELvCAN</a> 🇨🇦 <a href="https://t.co/Iv4tTPkdX4">pic.twitter.com/Iv4tTPkdX4</a>
— Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) <a href="https://twitter.com/sports_odisha/status/1067767567823986688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">28 November 2018</a></blockquote>
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Belgium completely dominated the first two quarters as Canada hardly managed to get a shot at the opposition goal.&nbsp;

But they failed to keep up the momentum as after the halftime, Canada started to find their grip on the match. &nbsp;

They fought brilliantly to pull a goal back through Mark Pearson's penalty corner conversion in the 48th minute.&nbsp;

It was far from an ideal start for Belgium as they wasted as many as four penalty corners in the match, a fact which their captain Thomas Briels accepted.&nbsp;

"We played a very good first half. We started positively and dominated but Canada came back strongly after halftime to give us some tough time," Briels said.&nbsp;

Belgium will next face hosts India on December 2 while Canada will be up against South Africa.&nbsp;

Belgium defeated Canada 2-1 in the first match of Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 on Wednesday. The Olympic silver medallist Belgium's created the pressure in the first quarter itself through a fine field strike by Felix Denayer in the third minute of the game.

Belgium defeated Canada 2-1 in the first match of Men's Hockey World Cup 2018 on Wednesday. The Olympic silver medallist Belgium's created the pressure in the first quarter itself through a fine field strike by Felix Denayer in the third minute of the game. In the second quarter, they did not only saved a penalty corner but also scored again, extending the lead to 2-0. In the 12th minute, captain Thomas Briels found the back of the net again for Belgium but the goal was disallowed after Canada went for the referral, claiming the ball hit his hand before rolling on to the goal. As it happened | Belgium vs Canada However, he scored with a brilliant strike after he was set up by Arthur van Doren. Doren was awarded player of the match for his overall performance during the match. 🏑 | POTM | @ArthurVDoren | @BELRedLions#HWC2018 #Odisha2018 🇧🇪 #BELvCAN 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/Iv4tTPkdX4 — Hockey World Cup 2018 - Host Partner (@sports_odisha) 28 November 2018 × Belgium completely dominated the first two quarters as Canada hardly managed to get a shot at the opposition goal. But they failed to keep up the momentum as after the halftime, Canada started to find their grip on the match. They fought brilliantly to pull a goal back through Mark Pearson's penalty corner conversion in the 48th minute. It was far from an ideal start for Belgium as they wasted as many as four penalty corners in the match, a fact which their captain Thomas Briels accepted. "We played a very good first half. We started positively and dominated but Canada came back strongly after halftime to give us some tough time," Briels said. Belgium will next face hosts India on December 2 while Canada will be up against South Africa.

Belgium cruise past Canada 2-1 in hockey World Cup opener

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday released commemorative postage stamps on Odisha <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">Men's Hockey World Cup</a>.

The stamps aim at commemorating the 14th edition of the Mens Hockey World Cup in the state.

"I would like to thank the Postal Department for producing beautiful stamps at the time of the Hockey World Cup," Patnaik said.

Chief Postmaster General, Odisha, Jaleswar Kahanr said a stall has been set up at the Kalinga Stadium from where citizens can get the new stamps.

He said a state-level exhibition will be held at Keonjhar from December 15 to 17 to promote the stamps.

In the World cup matches Wednesday, Belgium will take on Canada and India will play against South Africa.

The second inaugural function of Odisha Hockey Mens World Cup will be held at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Wednesday evening where Bollywood star Salman Khan and music maestro AR Rahman will perform.

"Happy to join Hockey Mens World Cup Celebrations 2018 in the Millennium City of Cuttack on 28th November 2018. Come lets cheer for the Worlds best n make it memorable!!, Khan said in his twitter handle.

In the first inaugural ceremony Tuesday evening Bollywood superstar ShahRukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and A R Rahman performed at the Kalinga Stadium here.&nbsp;

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday released commemorative postage stamps on Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup. The stamps aim at commemorating the 14th edition of the Mens Hockey World Cup in the state.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Wednesday released commemorative postage stamps on Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup. The stamps aim at commemorating the 14th edition of the Mens Hockey World Cup in the state. "I would like to thank the Postal Department for producing beautiful stamps at the time of the Hockey World Cup," Patnaik said. Chief Postmaster General, Odisha, Jaleswar Kahanr said a stall has been set up at the Kalinga Stadium from where citizens can get the new stamps. He said a state-level exhibition will be held at Keonjhar from December 15 to 17 to promote the stamps. In the World cup matches Wednesday, Belgium will take on Canada and India will play against South Africa. The second inaugural function of Odisha Hockey Mens World Cup will be held at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack on Wednesday evening where Bollywood star Salman Khan and music maestro AR Rahman will perform. "Happy to join Hockey Mens World Cup Celebrations 2018 in the Millennium City of Cuttack on 28th November 2018. Come lets cheer for the Worlds best n make it memorable!!, Khan said in his twitter handle. In the first inaugural ceremony Tuesday evening Bollywood superstar ShahRukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and A R Rahman performed at the Kalinga Stadium here.

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik releases commemorative postage stamps on Hockey World Cup

Standing on the cusp of creating history, two-time defending champions Australia are keen to put up a good show at the ongoing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">hockey World Cup</a> to ensure an uninterrupted flow of funds from its government till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Aiming to win a rare hat-trick of titles, Australia chief coach Colin Batch said a disastrous outing here could seriously affect its preparations for the Tokyo Olympics as its government may not release additional funds.

By virtue of the national team's impressive performances over the years, which includes back-to-back world titles in 2010 and 2014 besides the Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games gold earlier this year, hockey is one of sports identified by the Australian government to get additional funding till the 2020 Olympics.

"It's very important that we continue to get the funding. Of course, it's linked to our performance. It was good to have the funding consolidated right till Tokyo 2020. The team has earned that with their performances over the last two years. It has given a lot of encouragement," Batch said at the Kalinga Stadium here ahead of his side's World Cup opener against Ireland on Friday.

"We would like to perform well here, because then the players will get more funding as well. They know that, so it goes on. If we are knocked out in the early part of the tournament here, then that can affect our funding. So, it's very important to play well here and be successful," he added.

Being the two-time defending champions, there is pressure on Australia to become first hockey playing nation to win a hat-trick of World Cup crowns, but the coach said they are taking it as a challenge.

"The Aussie group has a proud history. We are defending our title here and we are looking it as a challenge. That's our approach,? Batch said.

Australia's last success on Indian soil was when they won the Hockey World League (HWL) Final here last year and Batch said the Kookaburras drew heart from that campaign.

"We continued to improve during the tournament (HWL Final). We could not win a game in the group stage but we drew three games against quality opposition. We made it to the quarterfinals and our hockey improved significantly from there," he said, summing up Australia's showing in the HWL Final.

"We have got some belief from that tournament that we can continue to improve at whatever level we start at. Earlier this year we have got some success in the Commonwealth Games and the Champions Trophy. Each tournament creates different obstacles."

Talking about hosts India, Batch said India have already earned back its respect in world hockey with their upward rise in the recent years.

"They (India) have improved. We have played them at the Champions Trophy and that was the best Indian team we had seen for a while," the Aussie coach said.

"I think they will play well here, but again the best teams will play consistently right through the tournament. There will be pressure on India for sure, but they have a good team. I think everyone in world hockey respects them enormously."

Australia's co-captain Aran Zalewski too agreed with his coach and said they were taking the tournament as a challenge.

"It's great that Australia has such a proud history in World Cups. We have taken experiences from the past but this is completely different group. We have now got 10 guys making their debut at World Cup," he said.

"For us as a team this is our first real chance of winning a World Cup as a group. We are not taking it as pressure but as a challenge."

Standing on the cusp of creating history, two-time defending champions Australia are keen to put up a good show at the ongoing hockey World Cup to ensure an uninterrupted flow of funds from its government till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Standing on the cusp of creating history, two-time defending champions Australia are keen to put up a good show at the ongoing hockey World Cup to ensure an uninterrupted flow of funds from its government till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Aiming to win a rare hat-trick of titles, Australia chief coach Colin Batch said a disastrous outing here could seriously affect its preparations for the Tokyo Olympics as its government may not release additional funds. By virtue of the national team's impressive performances over the years, which includes back-to-back world titles in 2010 and 2014 besides the Champions Trophy and Commonwealth Games gold earlier this year, hockey is one of sports identified by the Australian government to get additional funding till the 2020 Olympics. "It's very important that we continue to get the funding. Of course, it's linked to our performance. It was good to have the funding consolidated right till Tokyo 2020. The team has earned that with their performances over the last two years. It has given a lot of encouragement," Batch said at the Kalinga Stadium here ahead of his side's World Cup opener against Ireland on Friday. "We would like to perform well here, because then the players will get more funding as well. They know that, so it goes on. If we are knocked out in the early part of the tournament here, then that can affect our funding. So, it's very important to play well here and be successful," he added. Being the two-time defending champions, there is pressure on Australia to become first hockey playing nation to win a hat-trick of World Cup crowns, but the coach said they are taking it as a challenge. "The Aussie group has a proud history. We are defending our title here and we are looking it as a challenge. That's our approach,? Batch said. Australia's last success on Indian soil was when they won the Hockey World League (HWL) Final here last year and Batch said the Kookaburras drew heart from that campaign. "We continued to improve during the tournament (HWL Final). We could not win a game in the group stage but we drew three games against quality opposition. We made it to the quarterfinals and our hockey improved significantly from there," he said, summing up Australia's showing in the HWL Final. "We have got some belief from that tournament that we can continue to improve at whatever level we start at. Earlier this year we have got some success in the Commonwealth Games and the Champions Trophy. Each tournament creates different obstacles." Talking about hosts India, Batch said India have already earned back its respect in world hockey with their upward rise in the recent years. "They (India) have improved. We have played them at the Champions Trophy and that was the best Indian team we had seen for a while," the Aussie coach said. "I think they will play well here, but again the best teams will play consistently right through the tournament. There will be pressure on India for sure, but they have a good team. I think everyone in world hockey respects them enormously." Australia's co-captain Aran Zalewski too agreed with his coach and said they were taking the tournament as a challenge. "It's great that Australia has such a proud history in World Cups. We have taken experiences from the past but this is completely different group. We have now got 10 guys making their debut at World Cup," he said. "For us as a team this is our first real chance of winning a World Cup as a group. We are not taking it as pressure but as a challenge."

Title-holders Australia eyeing another good World Cup show

Not amongst the favourites to lift the trophy, South Africa players have paid from their own pockets to just be a part of the men's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">hockey World Cup</a> beginning here on Wednesday.&nbsp;

World number 15 South Africa coach Mark Hopkins said the biggest hurdle for the growth of the game in South Africa is "funding".&nbsp;

"The more hockey South Africa plays the better it is. But our challenge is to get the funding in place to allow us to compete in as many Test matches we possibly can," Hopkins told PTI on the eve of his side's opener against hosts India.&nbsp;

"We are coming into the World Cup with players needing to pay from their own pocket. They paid to be part of the camps. Our challenge is to get the funding in place. We are lucky to have a few sponsors but the sponsorships we have don't really cover the budget of the World Cup.&nbsp;

"We currently have a shortfall at the moment and if we don't get to cover that shortfall, then there is a possibility the players might also have to pay for the World Cup trip," he added.&nbsp;

With world ranked fifth India at the other end in their first match, South Africa have a tough task at hand but Hopkins is looking at the positives.&nbsp;

"Every game at the World Cup is a big match. You try to start the tournament as well as you can. It's exciting that we are playing our first match against the host nation. We will go into the game fairly confident. We feel we have the squad, skill set and tactics to play really good hockey and get results from the match," he said.&nbsp;

"I think the pressure is on both sides. Being the host nation there is more pressure on India than us. We will just go out there and play the brand of hockey that is successful for us."&nbsp;

Hopkins said his side's goal coming into the tournament is to be become the most successful South African hockey-playing nation in the history of the World Cup.&nbsp;

"We are a proud sporting nation and as a group we are looking to create history. The goal for us is to finish the tournament as the most successful South African hockey team in the men's World Cup," he said.&nbsp;

"We probably are a team that opposition has seen less videos off. People know less about our players because we don't play much in the European leagues or Test matches than other nations. That is an advantage for us," Hopkins added.&nbsp;

Not amongst the favourites to lift the trophy, South Africa players have paid from their own pockets to just be a part of the men's hockey World Cup beginning here on Wednesday.

Not amongst the favourites to lift the trophy, South Africa players have paid from their own pockets to just be a part of the men's hockey World Cup beginning here on Wednesday. World number 15 South Africa coach Mark Hopkins said the biggest hurdle for the growth of the game in South Africa is "funding". "The more hockey South Africa plays the better it is. But our challenge is to get the funding in place to allow us to compete in as many Test matches we possibly can," Hopkins told PTI on the eve of his side's opener against hosts India. "We are coming into the World Cup with players needing to pay from their own pocket. They paid to be part of the camps. Our challenge is to get the funding in place. We are lucky to have a few sponsors but the sponsorships we have don't really cover the budget of the World Cup. "We currently have a shortfall at the moment and if we don't get to cover that shortfall, then there is a possibility the players might also have to pay for the World Cup trip," he added. With world ranked fifth India at the other end in their first match, South Africa have a tough task at hand but Hopkins is looking at the positives. "Every game at the World Cup is a big match. You try to start the tournament as well as you can. It's exciting that we are playing our first match against the host nation. We will go into the game fairly confident. We feel we have the squad, skill set and tactics to play really good hockey and get results from the match," he said. "I think the pressure is on both sides. Being the host nation there is more pressure on India than us. We will just go out there and play the brand of hockey that is successful for us." Hopkins said his side's goal coming into the tournament is to be become the most successful South African hockey-playing nation in the history of the World Cup. "We are a proud sporting nation and as a group we are looking to create history. The goal for us is to finish the tournament as the most successful South African hockey team in the men's World Cup," he said. "We probably are a team that opposition has seen less videos off. People know less about our players because we don't play much in the European leagues or Test matches than other nations. That is an advantage for us," Hopkins added.

Despite funding ordeal, South African players look to create history

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">Hockey World Cup</a> has kick-started with a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/hockey-world-cup-2018-opening-ceremony-live-179778">grand opening ceremony</a> at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar.&nbsp;

Apart from the teams of the 16 participating nations, the event saw film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music director AR Rahman enthral the audience with their performances.

Shah Rukh recreated his Chak De! India dialogues as he recalled his connection with national sport and said &nbsp;"I did play a little bit of hockey in school and college. I used to play as a centre-forward, and right opposite me was obviously a goalkeeper,".

There is one more connection between Shah Rukh and hockey that is present coach of Indian field hockey Harendra Singh.

Harendra Singh and Shah Rukh have played in together in school hockey tournaments of Delhi.

Shahrukh Khan was the centre-forward of St. Columba's team and Harendra Singh was a goalkeeper and forward for Union Academy school.

"Shah Rukh used to come at Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place after school and stay with Pandit Jugal Kishor Sharma house. He was St&nbsp;Columbus student and I was with Union Academy School," revealed Harendra Singh.

Today at the opening ceremony India's reel life and real hockey coaches were present together once again.

Harendra expressed confidence that his young side in which seven out of 18 players are from the junior World Cup squad.

Conceding last-minute goals has been India's perennial problem in the last few years but Harendra said it' is with all hockey playing nations.

"We always discuss India concede a last-minute goal to lose. It has happened in the last 4-5 years, including the Asian Games. But that doesn't only happen with the Indian team. I can give you history where other teams also have lost the same way," he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Hockey World Cup has kick-started with a grand opening ceremony at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. Apart from the teams of the 16 participating nations, the event saw film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music director AR Rahman enthral the audience with their performances.

The Hockey World Cup has kick-started with a grand opening ceremony at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar. Apart from the teams of the 16 participating nations, the event saw film stars Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music director AR Rahman enthral the audience with their performances. Shah Rukh recreated his Chak De! India dialogues as he recalled his connection with national sport and said "I did play a little bit of hockey in school and college. I used to play as a centre-forward, and right opposite me was obviously a goalkeeper,". There is one more connection between Shah Rukh and hockey that is present coach of Indian field hockey Harendra Singh. Harendra Singh and Shah Rukh have played in together in school hockey tournaments of Delhi. Shahrukh Khan was the centre-forward of St. Columba's team and Harendra Singh was a goalkeeper and forward for Union Academy school. "Shah Rukh used to come at Hanuman Temple, Connaught Place after school and stay with Pandit Jugal Kishor Sharma house. He was St Columbus student and I was with Union Academy School," revealed Harendra Singh. Today at the opening ceremony India's reel life and real hockey coaches were present together once again. Harendra expressed confidence that his young side in which seven out of 18 players are from the junior World Cup squad. Conceding last-minute goals has been India's perennial problem in the last few years but Harendra said it' is with all hockey playing nations. "We always discuss India concede a last-minute goal to lose. It has happened in the last 4-5 years, including the Asian Games. But that doesn't only happen with the Indian team. I can give you history where other teams also have lost the same way," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Shah Rukh and India's coach Harendra Singh played together in school tournaments

Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha is all geared up for the grand opening ceremony of Hockey World Cup 2018. The opening ceremony will carry a central message of "oneness".

With glitz and glamour, Hockey World Cup 2018 begins

Armed with a sense of togetherness, self- belief and a strong crowd backing them every moment, India will seek to end 43 years of hurt when they begin the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">Hockey World Cup</a> campaign against South Africa here Wednesday.&nbsp;

The hosts' Pool C encounter at the Kalinga Stadium will be the showpiece event's second game.&nbsp;

Eight-time Olympic champions India's only glory at the World Cup came way back in 1975 when Ajit Pal Singh and his men's created history for the past masters of the game.&nbsp;

Since then India has failed to match the standards of the Europeans -&nbsp;Netherlands, Germany -&nbsp;and Australia, who have been ruling the game for over four decades now.&nbsp;

In the last 10 editions since its maiden triumph in 1975, India's best performance was a fifth-place finish at the 1982 edition in Mumbai (then Bombay).&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ready-to-take-up-world-cup-challenge-says-indian-goalkeeper-sreejesh-to-wion-179589">Ready to take up World Cup challenge, says Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh to WION</a>

Now, the world ranked fifth Indians would be eager to recreate the magic by reaching the semifinals, and possibly a podium finish.&nbsp;

That is though easier said than done as besides tackling powerhouses like two-time defending champions Australia, Netherlands, Germany and Olympic champions Argentina, the Indians will be under pressure to live up to the expectations of millions of fans.&nbsp;

The last time India played a World Cup at home, in 2010 in New Delhi, it finished a lowly eighth and going by records, the host nation has never fared well in the tournament.&nbsp;

All the nine countries to host a World Cup till date have finished eighth or above but Harendra Singh's men would be hoping to rewrite that in front of home fans.&nbsp;

For chief coach Harendra Singh, who has come under the scanner after India's failure to defend it's Asian Games title earlier this year, the tournament is a do-or-die one and a failure is sure to cost him his job.

Harendra would be hoping to recreate the magic of two years ago when he guided the junior Indian team to the World Cup title in Lucknow.&nbsp;

To achieve his goal, Harendra has drafted in seven of 18 junior World Cup winners in the senior team alongside senior pros like skipper Manpreet Singh, PR Sreejesh, Akashdeep Singh and the ever-reliable Birendra Lakra.&nbsp;

The Indian team for the World Cup is a mixture of youth and experience with seven of the 18 featuring in the last World Cup. The squad also has youthful exuberance in 19-year-old striker Dilpreet Singh and debutant Hardik Singh.&nbsp;

But two notable absentees from the squad are dragflicker Rupinder Pal Singh, who has been dropped and striker SV Sunil, who is unfit.&nbsp;

In the 16-nation tournament India are placed alongside South Africa, Belgium and Canada in their group.&nbsp;

Barring world no. 3 Belgium, India are expected to win hands down against world no. 15 South Africa and world no. 11 Canada.&nbsp;

The match against Belgium is India's big test in the pool stages and a win against the Red Lions is a must for the hosts to avoid the cross-overs and qualify directly for the quarterfinals.&nbsp;

After South Africa, India's opponents are Belgium on December 2 and Canada on December 8.&nbsp;

It is only the second World Cup after 2002 to feature 16 teams. From four pools of four teams each, the toppers will directly qualify for the quarterfinals while the second and third placed sides will have to play four cross-over matches to earn their places in the last-eight round.

Just like all big-ticket hockey events, Australia, Netherlands and Germany will once again start favourites to lift the title.&nbsp;

The Kookaburras, in fact, will be vying to create history by becoming the first team to win the trophy for the third time in a row.&nbsp;

In the other match of the opening day, Belgium will take on Canada.

Armed with a sense of togetherness, self- belief and a strong crowd backing them every moment, India will seek to end 43 years of hurt when they begin the Hockey World Cup campaign against South Africa here Wednesday.

Armed with a sense of togetherness, self- belief and a strong crowd backing them every moment, India will seek to end 43 years of hurt when they begin the Hockey World Cup campaign against South Africa here Wednesday. The hosts' Pool C encounter at the Kalinga Stadium will be the showpiece event's second game. Eight-time Olympic champions India's only glory at the World Cup came way back in 1975 when Ajit Pal Singh and his men's created history for the past masters of the game. Since then India has failed to match the standards of the Europeans - Netherlands, Germany - and Australia, who have been ruling the game for over four decades now. In the last 10 editions since its maiden triumph in 1975, India's best performance was a fifth-place finish at the 1982 edition in Mumbai (then Bombay). Ready to take up World Cup challenge, says Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh to WION Now, the world ranked fifth Indians would be eager to recreate the magic by reaching the semifinals, and possibly a podium finish. That is though easier said than done as besides tackling powerhouses like two-time defending champions Australia, Netherlands, Germany and Olympic champions Argentina, the Indians will be under pressure to live up to the expectations of millions of fans. The last time India played a World Cup at home, in 2010 in New Delhi, it finished a lowly eighth and going by records, the host nation has never fared well in the tournament. All the nine countries to host a World Cup till date have finished eighth or above but Harendra Singh's men would be hoping to rewrite that in front of home fans. For chief coach Harendra Singh, who has come under the scanner after India's failure to defend it's Asian Games title earlier this year, the tournament is a do-or-die one and a failure is sure to cost him his job. Harendra would be hoping to recreate the magic of two years ago when he guided the junior Indian team to the World Cup title in Lucknow. To achieve his goal, Harendra has drafted in seven of 18 junior World Cup winners in the senior team alongside senior pros like skipper Manpreet Singh, PR Sreejesh, Akashdeep Singh and the ever-reliable Birendra Lakra. The Indian team for the World Cup is a mixture of youth and experience with seven of the 18 featuring in the last World Cup. The squad also has youthful exuberance in 19-year-old striker Dilpreet Singh and debutant Hardik Singh. But two notable absentees from the squad are dragflicker Rupinder Pal Singh, who has been dropped and striker SV Sunil, who is unfit. In the 16-nation tournament India are placed alongside South Africa, Belgium and Canada in their group. Barring world no. 3 Belgium, India are expected to win hands down against world no. 15 South Africa and world no. 11 Canada. The match against Belgium is India's big test in the pool stages and a win against the Red Lions is a must for the hosts to avoid the cross-overs and qualify directly for the quarterfinals. After South Africa, India's opponents are Belgium on December 2 and Canada on December 8. It is only the second World Cup after 2002 to feature 16 teams. From four pools of four teams each, the toppers will directly qualify for the quarterfinals while the second and third placed sides will have to play four cross-over matches to earn their places in the last-eight round. Just like all big-ticket hockey events, Australia, Netherlands and Germany will once again start favourites to lift the title. The Kookaburras, in fact, will be vying to create history by becoming the first team to win the trophy for the third time in a row. In the other match of the opening day, Belgium will take on Canada.

Determined India look to end 43-year-long medal draught at Hockey World Cup

The Indian hockey team is all set to rewrite history as it attempts to clinch the elusive gold again in the 14th edition of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">Men's Hockey World Cup</a> which is scheduled to take place at home in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the opening day, i.e. November 28.

In an <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/ready-to-take-up-world-cup-challenge-says-indian-goalkeeper-sreejesh-to-wion-179589">exclusive interview</a>, WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, who said that it is the right place and right platform for every player in the team to deliver their best on the field and win gold.&nbsp;

He also shared the 'mantra' of winning gold at the World Cup.

In this edition, 16 teams, which are drawn into four groups, each containing four teams, will play a total of 36 matches within a span of 18 match days.&nbsp;

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/determined-india-look-to-end-43-years-long-medal-draught-at-hockey-world-cup-179717">Determined India look to end 43 years long medal </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/determined-india-look-to-end-43-years-long-medal-draught-at-hockey-world-cup-179717">draught</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/determined-india-look-to-end-43-years-long-medal-draught-at-hockey-world-cup-179717"> at Hockey World Cup</a>

Each team plays each other in its group once. The first-place team in each group will advance to the quarter-finals, while the second and third-placed teams in each group go into the crossover matches. From there on a single-elimination tournament will be played which gives the weaker teams a chance to qualify further.

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Coach Harendra said, "The crucial match in this kind of format is the quarter-final." He further added that if the Team India manages to enter the semis then the chances of winning the tournament will be higher.

"I can guarantee you that's the only match that will change the history of India hockey," he told WION.

"The moment they will enter the semi-final, I can guarantee you that this team [team India] will stand at the centre of the podium," added the confident coach.

On being asked about the joy of playing at home, the coach said that it is something every sportsperson and coach looks forward in life.&nbsp;

There is always an add-on pressure when the team is playing in front of their own crowd but the coach said that this the time the players can connect with the people.&nbsp;

Having already led the junior hockey team to victory in 2016 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup in Lucknow, Singh is familiar with the winning feeling at home.&nbsp;

The Indian hockey team is all set to rewrite history as it attempts to clinch the elusive gold again in the 14th edition of Men's Hockey World Cup which is scheduled to take place at home in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The Indian hockey team is all set to rewrite history as it attempts to clinch the elusive gold again in the 14th edition of Men's Hockey World Cup which is scheduled to take place at home in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the opening day, i.e. November 28. In an exclusive interview, WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, who said that it is the right place and right platform for every player in the team to deliver their best on the field and win gold. He also shared the 'mantra' of winning gold at the World Cup. In this edition, 16 teams, which are drawn into four groups, each containing four teams, will play a total of 36 matches within a span of 18 match days. Also Read: Determined India look to end 43 years long medal draught at Hockey World Cup Each team plays each other in its group once. The first-place team in each group will advance to the quarter-finals, while the second and third-placed teams in each group go into the crossover matches. From there on a single-elimination tournament will be played which gives the weaker teams a chance to qualify further. × Coach Harendra said, "The crucial match in this kind of format is the quarter-final." He further added that if the Team India manages to enter the semis then the chances of winning the tournament will be higher. "I can guarantee you that's the only match that will change the history of India hockey," he told WION. "The moment they will enter the semi-final, I can guarantee you that this team [team India] will stand at the centre of the podium," added the confident coach. On being asked about the joy of playing at home, the coach said that it is something every sportsperson and coach looks forward in life. There is always an add-on pressure when the team is playing in front of their own crowd but the coach said that this the time the players can connect with the people. Having already led the junior hockey team to victory in 2016 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup in Lucknow, Singh is familiar with the winning feeling at home.

India hockey coach Harendra Singh's 'mantra' to win gold at World Cup

Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha is all geared up for the grand opening ceremony of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/hockey-world-cup">Hockey World Cup&nbsp;2018</a>. The opening ceremony will carry a central message of "oneness".

Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, music composer AR Rahman, and actress Madhuri Dixit are going to be the center of attraction during the much-awaited opening ceremony of the event.

The Odisha government has <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/odisha-government-declares-holiday-on-opening-ceremony-for-hockey-world-cup-179710">declared </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/odisha-government-declares-holiday-on-opening-ceremony-for-hockey-world-cup-179710">holiday</a> for schools and educational institutions on Tuesday for the inaugural event.

AR Rahman will be performing live, the Hockey World Cup 2018 official song during the ceremony with Shah Rukh Khan accompanying him in the act.

Madhuri Dixit is going to be the lead performer of the ceremony theme song called "Earth Song" in which she will be joined by another 1100 participants. It is with this song that the opening ceremony is slated to begin.

The song will represent a take on eastern culture meeting the west. The concept and premise of the act rests on the two halves that have polarised the world.

Created by Nupur Mahajan, the Earth Song will address the divide and showcase the blend through this act.

The 'Earth Song' act is choreographed by Aruna Mohanty for the eastern elements and Shiamak Davar offered his expertise for the western elements.&nbsp;

The act will be a perfect exhibition of fusion performances. The diverse performances will include Indian classical versions of Odissi, Mohiniattam, Bharatnatyam, Sattriya, Kathak and Kuchipudi and western versions of Ballet, Samba, Jazz, Afro, Balinese, Capioera and Contemporary.

The act will aim to connect the commonalities of the two cultures while displaying a full array of dance performance.

On November 18, Hockey India had released the much-awaited teaser of the official song of the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup featuring music composer AR Rahman and Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan.

Bhubaneswar, the capital city of Odisha is all geared up for the grand opening ceremony of Hockey World Cup 2018. The opening ceremony will carry a central message of "oneness". Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan, music composer AR Rahman, and actress Madhuri Dixit are going to be the center of attraction during the much-awaited opening ceremony of the event. The Odisha government has declared holiday for schools and educational institutions on Tuesday for the inaugural event. AR Rahman will be performing live, the Hockey World Cup 2018 official song during the ceremony with Shah Rukh Khan accompanying him in the act. Madhuri Dixit is going to be the lead performer of the ceremony theme song called "Earth Song" in which she will be joined by another 1100 participants. It is with this song that the opening ceremony is slated to begin. The song will represent a take on eastern culture meeting the west. The concept and premise of the act rests on the two halves that have polarised the world. Created by Nupur Mahajan, the Earth Song will address the divide and showcase the blend through this act. The 'Earth Song' act is choreographed by Aruna Mohanty for the eastern elements and Shiamak Davar offered his expertise for the western elements. The act will be a perfect exhibition of fusion performances. The diverse performances will include Indian classical versions of Odissi, Mohiniattam, Bharatnatyam, Sattriya, Kathak and Kuchipudi and western versions of Ballet, Samba, Jazz, Afro, Balinese, Capioera and Contemporary. The act will aim to connect the commonalities of the two cultures while displaying a full array of dance performance. On November 18, Hockey India had released the much-awaited teaser of the official song of the 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup featuring music composer AR Rahman and Bollywood icon Shah Rukh Khan.

Shah Rukh Khan, AR Rahman, Madhuri Dixit to perform at grand opening ceremony of Hockey World Cup

The 2018 Men's <a href="http://www.wionews.com/search?q=schedule">Hockey World Cup</a> is scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 16, 2018, and the opening ceremony for the event, which was earlier scheduled for November 27 at the Kalinga Stadium, will now be held in two parts.

The inaugural ceremony for the sporting event is scheduled to be held in the evening on Tuesday. Meanwhile, matches for the World Cup will commence at Kalinga Stadium from Wednesday.

The Odisha government announced that all educational institutions in Bhubaneswar will remain closed for the opening ceremony.

Schools and educational institutions in the capital city will remain closed on Tuesday, while educational institutions across the state will remain closed after 1.30 pm, a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said.

Similarly, all government offices in the state, including those in Bhubaneswar, will function till 1.30 pm, the release added.

For the grand ceremony of the prestigious event, Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music maestro AR Rahman are slated to perform at the inaugural programme at Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday. Besides, some Odia actors will also perform at the programme.

The 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup is scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 16, 2018, and the opening ceremony for the event, which was earlier scheduled for November 27 at the Kalinga Stadium, will now be held in two parts.

The 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup is scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 16, 2018, and the opening ceremony for the event, which was earlier scheduled for November 27 at the Kalinga Stadium, will now be held in two parts. The inaugural ceremony for the sporting event is scheduled to be held in the evening on Tuesday. Meanwhile, matches for the World Cup will commence at Kalinga Stadium from Wednesday. The Odisha government announced that all educational institutions in Bhubaneswar will remain closed for the opening ceremony. Schools and educational institutions in the capital city will remain closed on Tuesday, while educational institutions across the state will remain closed after 1.30 pm, a release from the Chief Minister's Office (CMO) said. Similarly, all government offices in the state, including those in Bhubaneswar, will function till 1.30 pm, the release added. For the grand ceremony of the prestigious event, Bollywood actors Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music maestro AR Rahman are slated to perform at the inaugural programme at Kalinga Stadium on Tuesday. Besides, some Odia actors will also perform at the programme.

Odisha government declares holiday for schools, offices for Hockey World Cup

Kalinga Sena has withdrawn its threat to throw ink on Shah Rukh Khan. On Monday, the&nbsp;fringe outfit took the decision following an appeal from Hockey India president Mohammed Mushtaque Ahmad. The outfit had earlier threatened to <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/kalinga-sena-threatens-to-throw-ink-at-shah-rukh-khan-claims-his-2001-film-asoka-insulted-people-of-odisha-179019">throw ink at SRK during his visit for Hockey World Cup</a> which kickstarts from 28th November in Bhuvaneshwar.&nbsp;

“We have decided to withdraw our pledge following the request by Hockey India President. Since it is an international event and Shah Rukh Khan is a promoter, we don’t want to protest, as that would give a bad name to Odisha,” Kalinga Sena chief Hemant Rath said.

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We have decided to withdraw the threat for the time being in view of the request made by Hockey India President and Odisha govt and police. Further decision will be taken later but we haven't forgiven Shah Rukh Khan: Kalinga Sena chief Hemant Rath (26.11) <a href="https://t.co/KFmiWm7sKV">pic.twitter.com/KFmiWm7sKV</a>
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However, Rath said that the people of Odisha had not forgiven Khan for 'insulting their sentiments and distorting history in his film 'Ashoka' which 17 years back. &nbsp;

The Kalinga Sena had demanded an apology from Shah Rukh who played the lead role and was also the producer of the film, alleging that the film dishonoured the state’s culture and by portraying the Kalinga War in a wrong manner.

Earlier, the Hockey India President, in a letter, had appealed to the outfit not to protest against Khan’s visit. “Shah Rukh Khan is one of the most popular actors of India and is widely known in the hockey community for his support for hockey and movie Chak de India and because of this he has been invited to attend the opening ceremony,” said Ahmad.

“Throwing ink on someone who has been invited as a guest shall bring a bad name to India and will show Odisha in a very poor light in front of all international guests, including the teams,” he added.

Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music director AR Rahman will perform during the inaugural ceremony of the Men’s Hockey World Cup at Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday.

Kalinga Sena has withdrawn its threat to throw ink on Shah Rukh Khan. On Monday, the fringe outfit took the decision following an appeal from Hockey India president Mohammed Mushtaque Ahmad.

Kalinga Sena has withdrawn its threat to throw ink on Shah Rukh Khan. On Monday, the fringe outfit took the decision following an appeal from Hockey India president Mohammed Mushtaque Ahmad. The outfit had earlier threatened to throw ink at SRK during his visit for Hockey World Cup which kickstarts from 28th November in Bhuvaneshwar. “We have decided to withdraw our pledge following the request by Hockey India President. Since it is an international event and Shah Rukh Khan is a promoter, we don’t want to protest, as that would give a bad name to Odisha,” Kalinga Sena chief Hemant Rath said. We have decided to withdraw the threat for the time being in view of the request made by Hockey India President and Odisha govt and police. Further decision will be taken later but we haven't forgiven Shah Rukh Khan: Kalinga Sena chief Hemant Rath (26.11) pic.twitter.com/KFmiWm7sKV — ANI (@ANI) November 27, 2018 × However, Rath said that the people of Odisha had not forgiven Khan for 'insulting their sentiments and distorting history in his film 'Ashoka' which 17 years back. The Kalinga Sena had demanded an apology from Shah Rukh who played the lead role and was also the producer of the film, alleging that the film dishonoured the state’s culture and by portraying the Kalinga War in a wrong manner. Earlier, the Hockey India President, in a letter, had appealed to the outfit not to protest against Khan’s visit. “Shah Rukh Khan is one of the most popular actors of India and is widely known in the hockey community for his support for hockey and movie Chak de India and because of this he has been invited to attend the opening ceremony,” said Ahmad. “Throwing ink on someone who has been invited as a guest shall bring a bad name to India and will show Odisha in a very poor light in front of all international guests, including the teams,” he added. Shah Rukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit and music director AR Rahman will perform during the inaugural ceremony of the Men’s Hockey World Cup at Kalinga Stadium here on Tuesday.

Kalinga Sena withdraws its threat against Shah Rukh Khan ahead of inaugural ceremony of Hockey World Cup

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th.

Having previously organised the tournament in 1982 and 2010, India is ready to host the prestigious event again in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The excitement for the event is quite evident looking at the online ticket sales. The tickets sales for India matches have already been sold out.

WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh ahead of the tournament.

"We can never take from any Indian is the emotion for hockey and hockey is always connected with to the heart," said the coach while speaking exclusively to WION.

India won the elusive gold just once in 1975, after that it has mainly been downhill for India as European teams dominated the scene. In the interview with WION's sports editor Digvijay, the coach said that it is the right place and right platform for every player to deliver their best on the field and win gold.

The wall of the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Sreejesh said that the "the entire team is ready to take up this challenge" in the tournament where 16 countries are participating.

On being asked about the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of the home crowd, Sreejesh said, "When you are surrounded by your own people, it gives you goosebumps."

He added that it is important to be nervous in such big tournaments as it helps players to deliver their 100 per cent.

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Great banter and lots of laughter. The three main men of the Indian Hockey team like you have never seen them before.A special buildup to the 2018 <a href="https://twitter.com/FIH_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIH_Hockey</a> World Cup with <a href="https://twitter.com/HarendraSingh66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarendraSingh66</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/manpreetpawar07?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@manpreetpawar07</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/16Sreejesh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@16Sreejesh</a> at 730pm on Tuesday on <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheHockeyIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/tA9CHLa7SY">pic.twitter.com/tA9CHLa7SY</a>
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Indian hockey has been through a bad phase when the team struggled on the pitch but in recent years, the young players have proved their mettle winning several medals, including the Champions Trophy and bronze in Asian Games at Jakarta recently.

"We learned from our mistakes and improved ourselves. We worked with good coaches and we won in major tournaments. We are really improving and we are on the right track," said Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh to WION.

"We need to believe that we can do anything. We need to focus on ourselves and believe in ourselves," he added.

For the World Cup, India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the inaugural day, i.e. November 28.

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th.

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th. Having previously organised the tournament in 1982 and 2010, India is ready to host the prestigious event again in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The excitement for the event is quite evident looking at the online ticket sales. The tickets sales for India matches have already been sold out. WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh ahead of the tournament. "We can never take from any Indian is the emotion for hockey and hockey is always connected with to the heart," said the coach while speaking exclusively to WION. India won the elusive gold just once in 1975, after that it has mainly been downhill for India as European teams dominated the scene. In the interview with WION's sports editor Digvijay, the coach said that it is the right place and right platform for every player to deliver their best on the field and win gold. The wall of the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Sreejesh said that the "the entire team is ready to take up this challenge" in the tournament where 16 countries are participating. On being asked about the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of the home crowd, Sreejesh said, "When you are surrounded by your own people, it gives you goosebumps." He added that it is important to be nervous in such big tournaments as it helps players to deliver their 100 per cent. Great banter and lots of laughter. The three main men of the Indian Hockey team like you have never seen them before.A special buildup to the 2018 @FIH_Hockey World Cup with @HarendraSingh66 @manpreetpawar07 and @16Sreejesh at 730pm on Tuesday on @WIONews @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/tA9CHLa7SY — Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) November 26, 2018 × Indian hockey has been through a bad phase when the team struggled on the pitch but in recent years, the young players have proved their mettle winning several medals, including the Champions Trophy and bronze in Asian Games at Jakarta recently. "We learned from our mistakes and improved ourselves. We worked with good coaches and we won in major tournaments. We are really improving and we are on the right track," said Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh to WION. "We need to believe that we can do anything. We need to focus on ourselves and believe in ourselves," he added. For the World Cup, India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the inaugural day, i.e. November 28.

Ready to take up World Cup challenge, says Indian goalkeeper Sreejesh to WION

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th.

Having previously organised the tournament in 1982 and 2010, India is ready to host the prestigious event again in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

The excitement for the event is quite evident looking at the online ticket sales. The tickets sales for India matches have already been sold out.

WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh ahead of the tournament.

"We can never take from any Indian is the emotion for hockey and hockey is always connected with to the heart," said the coach while speaking exclusively to WION.

India won the elusive gold just once in 1975, after that it has mainly been downhill for India as European teams dominated the scene. In the interview with WION's sports editor Digvijay, the coach said that it is the right place and right platform for every player to deliver their best on the field and win gold.

The wall of the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Sreejesh said that the "the entire team is ready to take up this challenge" in the tournament where 16 countries are participating.

On being asked about the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of the home crowd, Shreejesh said, "When you are surrounded by your own people, it gives you goosebumps."

He added that it is important to be nervous in such big tournaments as it helps players to deliver their 100 per cent.

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Great banter and lots of laughter. The three main men of the Indian Hockey team like you have never seen them before.A special buildup to the 2018 <a href="https://twitter.com/FIH_Hockey?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FIH_Hockey</a> World Cup with <a href="https://twitter.com/HarendraSingh66?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HarendraSingh66</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/manpreetpawar07?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@manpreetpawar07</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/16Sreejesh?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@16Sreejesh</a> at 730pm on Tuesday on <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WIONews</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/TheHockeyIndia?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TheHockeyIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/tA9CHLa7SY">pic.twitter.com/tA9CHLa7SY</a>
— Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) <a href="https://twitter.com/DiggySinghDeo/status/1066908682158596096?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Indian hockey has been through a bad phase when the team struggled on the pitch but in recent years, the young players have proved their mettle winning several medals, including the Champions Trophy and bronze in Asian Games at Jakarta recently.

"We learned from our mistakes and improved ourselves. We worked with good coaches and we won in major tournaments. We are really improving and we are on the right track," said Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh to WION.

"We need to believe that we can do anything. We need to focus on ourselves and believe in ourselves," he added.

For the World Cup, India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the inaugural day, i.e. November 28.

Men's Hockey World Cup, considered the most important tournament in field hockey after the Olympics, is scheduled to take place in India from November 28th to December 16th. Having previously organised the tournament in 1982 and 2010, India is ready to host the prestigious event again in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The excitement for the event is quite evident looking at the online ticket sales. The tickets sales for India matches have already been sold out. WION's sports editor Digvijay Singh Deo spoke to Indian hockey coach Harendra Singh, captain Manpreet Singh and goalkeeper PR Sreejesh ahead of the tournament. "We can never take from any Indian is the emotion for hockey and hockey is always connected with to the heart," said the coach while speaking exclusively to WION. India won the elusive gold just once in 1975, after that it has mainly been downhill for India as European teams dominated the scene. In the interview with WION's sports editor Digvijay, the coach said that it is the right place and right platform for every player to deliver their best on the field and win gold. The wall of the Indian hockey team, goalkeeper Sreejesh said that the "the entire team is ready to take up this challenge" in the tournament where 16 countries are participating. On being asked about the nervousness and anxiety of playing in front of the home crowd, Shreejesh said, "When you are surrounded by your own people, it gives you goosebumps." He added that it is important to be nervous in such big tournaments as it helps players to deliver their 100 per cent. Great banter and lots of laughter. The three main men of the Indian Hockey team like you have never seen them before.A special buildup to the 2018 @FIH_Hockey World Cup with @HarendraSingh66 @manpreetpawar07 and @16Sreejesh at 730pm on Tuesday on @WIONews @TheHockeyIndia pic.twitter.com/tA9CHLa7SY — Digvijay Singh Deo (@DiggySinghDeo) November 26, 2018 × Indian hockey has been through a bad phase when the team struggled on the pitch but in recent years, the young players have proved their mettle winning several medals, including the Champions Trophy and bronze in Asian Games at Jakarta recently. "We learned from our mistakes and improved ourselves. We worked with good coaches and we won in major tournaments. We are really improving and we are on the right track," said Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh to WION. "We need to believe that we can do anything. We need to focus on ourselves and believe in ourselves," he added. For the World Cup, India are placed in Pool C with Belgium, Canada and South Africa and will play their first match against South Africa on the inaugural day, i.e. November 28.

Hockey is connected with every Indian, says Indian coach Harendra Singh to WION

Pakistan, Netherlands, Belgium teams land in India for World Cup

England, New Zealand, Spain men’s teams arrive India for World Cup

Playing hosts India in the opening match of the World Cup Hockey is the kind of challenge any team awaits, said South African captain Tim Drummond.

South Africa will be playing India in a pool C encounter at the Kalinga Stadium on November 28.&nbsp;

"It will be a privilege to play India in the first match and experience the crowd. I have heard it is going to be very loud with all the cheering," Drummond said.

"Though it's not my first time in India, many of my teammates are travelling here for the first time and they are very excited to be playing in Bhubaneswar, which has great support for hockey," the South African captain added.

He is confident that they will improve from their 10th place finish during the last edition.&nbsp;

"South Africa's best performance in the past was finishing 10th and we will certainly be looking at improving that. Our aim is to give our best and make our country proud. We played four test matches against France before arriving here so we have had some good match practice ahead of the tournament," he added.&nbsp;

The team's have started arriving and Argentina, one of the formidable sides are already in the city.

Argentina's drag-flick sensation Gonzalo Peillat said, "It will be a great tournament, playing in Bhubaneswar again in front of a crazy crowd. The entire team is looking forward to it and are very excited to be back."

The Olympic champions have a new chief coach in Germ?n Mariano Orozco, who replaced former Chief Coach Carlos Retegui in early 2018 and is a former defender for Argentina having played the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004.&nbsp;

"I think we have good experience and have played quite a few tournaments in the lead up to the World Cup under new coach Orozco. We have been performing well under him," said a confident Peillat.&nbsp;

Playing hosts India in the opening match of the World Cup Hockey is the kind of challenge any team awaits, said South African captain Tim Drummond. South Africa will be playing India in a pool C encounter at the Kalinga Stadium on November 28.

Playing hosts India in the opening match of the World Cup Hockey is the kind of challenge any team awaits, said South African captain Tim Drummond. South Africa will be playing India in a pool C encounter at the Kalinga Stadium on November 28. "It will be a privilege to play India in the first match and experience the crowd. I have heard it is going to be very loud with all the cheering," Drummond said. "Though it's not my first time in India, many of my teammates are travelling here for the first time and they are very excited to be playing in Bhubaneswar, which has great support for hockey," the South African captain added. He is confident that they will improve from their 10th place finish during the last edition. "South Africa's best performance in the past was finishing 10th and we will certainly be looking at improving that. Our aim is to give our best and make our country proud. We played four test matches against France before arriving here so we have had some good match practice ahead of the tournament," he added. The team's have started arriving and Argentina, one of the formidable sides are already in the city. Argentina's drag-flick sensation Gonzalo Peillat said, "It will be a great tournament, playing in Bhubaneswar again in front of a crazy crowd. The entire team is looking forward to it and are very excited to be back." The Olympic champions have a new chief coach in Germ?n Mariano Orozco, who replaced former Chief Coach Carlos Retegui in early 2018 and is a former defender for Argentina having played the Olympic Games in 2000 and 2004. "I think we have good experience and have played quite a few tournaments in the lead up to the World Cup under new coach Orozco. We have been performing well under him," said a confident Peillat.

It will be privilege to play India in first game, says SA captain

Australia, also known as the Kookaburras, will look to defend the Men's Hockey World Cup title in Odisha but current co-captain Aran Zalewski said it will be one of the most open men's hockey World Cups in recent times and his team will have to test themselves against the best teams.

Kookaburras have made 13 World Cup appearances and won the title in 1986, 2010 and 2014.

"World hockey is close at the moment and very competitive and any team can win and obviously India at home with home crowd will be very tough to beat," said Zalewski after arriving here with his team for the World Cup.

"We have a chance to test ourselves against the best in the world as we haven't tested ourselves since Rio (2016 Olympics) so we want to do very well here," he added.

For the current world number one, it is a sort of homecoming, who had claimed the Champions Trophy in 2014 and the Hockey World League Final in 2017 here.

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Defending Champions <a href="https://twitter.com/Kookaburras?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Kookaburras</a>' Co-Captain <a href="https://twitter.com/AranZalewski?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AranZalewski</a> believes the Kalinga Stadium is the best place in the world to play hockey and he cannot contain his excitement for the Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IndiaKaGame?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IndiaKaGame</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/HCT2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#HCT2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DilHockey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DilHockey</a> <a href="https://t.co/OTW7gZZlPk">pic.twitter.com/OTW7gZZlPk</a>
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Australia has Ireland, England and China in Pool B and head coach Colin Batch said it isn't going to be an easy task for his side even in Pool Stages.&nbsp;

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"We are the Champions but a long way from winning this tournament. We have a lot of work to do. We saw that in the Women's World Cup, a lot of surprises sprung up so we have to perform at our best against Ireland in the first game and then see what happens from there,? said Batch, a World Cup winner himself in 1986.&nbsp;

"We haven't seen Ireland for a while but they have played some good hockey. England we have played them a few times, they are a good side and China are a bit unknown so we just take one game a time."

Australia will&nbsp;open their title-defence campaign against Ireland on November 30.&nbsp;

Australia, also known as the Kookaburras, will look to defend the Men's Hockey World Cup title in Odisha but current co-captain Aran Zalewski said it will be one of the most open men's hockey World Cups in recent times and his team will have to test themselves against the best teams.

Australia, also known as the Kookaburras, will look to defend the Men's Hockey World Cup title in Odisha but current co-captain Aran Zalewski said it will be one of the most open men's hockey World Cups in recent times and his team will have to test themselves against the best teams. Kookaburras have made 13 World Cup appearances and won the title in 1986, 2010 and 2014. "World hockey is close at the moment and very competitive and any team can win and obviously India at home with home crowd will be very tough to beat," said Zalewski after arriving here with his team for the World Cup. "We have a chance to test ourselves against the best in the world as we haven't tested ourselves since Rio (2016 Olympics) so we want to do very well here," he added. For the current world number one, it is a sort of homecoming, who had claimed the Champions Trophy in 2014 and the Hockey World League Final in 2017 here. Defending Champions @Kookaburras' Co-Captain @AranZalewski believes the Kalinga Stadium is the best place in the world to play hockey and he cannot contain his excitement for the Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018.#IndiaKaGame #HCT2018 #DilHockey pic.twitter.com/OTW7gZZlPk — Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 24, 2018 × Australia has Ireland, England and China in Pool B and head coach Colin Batch said it isn't going to be an easy task for his side even in Pool Stages. × "We are the Champions but a long way from winning this tournament. We have a lot of work to do. We saw that in the Women's World Cup, a lot of surprises sprung up so we have to perform at our best against Ireland in the first game and then see what happens from there,? said Batch, a World Cup winner himself in 1986. "We haven't seen Ireland for a while but they have played some good hockey. England we have played them a few times, they are a good side and China are a bit unknown so we just take one game a time." Australia will open their title-defence campaign against Ireland on November 30.

Difficult to beat 'India at home', says Australian captain Aran Zalewski

Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood Sunday welcomed the Pakistani hockey team visiting India for the Hockey World Cup.

"Mahmood extended a warm welcome to members of the Pakistan Hockey contingent," the Pakistan embassy said in a release.

The high commissioner, senior officials of the Pakistan mission and representatives of Hockey India were present at the airport here during the team's transit on its way to Bhubaneswar, it said.

The team entered India through the Wagah-Attari border, according to the release.

For their part, team manager Hasan Sardar and Captain Muhamad Rizwan thanked the high commissioner and other senior officials for their support.

"High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood extended best wishes to the Pakistani hockey team for success during the Hockey World Cup," the release said.

The Pakistani team will play its pool matches against Germany on December 1, Malaysia on December 5, and the Netherlands on December 9.

Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood Sunday welcomed the Pakistani hockey team visiting India for the Hockey World Cup. "Mahmood extended a warm welcome to members of the Pakistan Hockey contingent," the Pakistan embassy said in a release.

Pakistan High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood Sunday welcomed the Pakistani hockey team visiting India for the Hockey World Cup. "Mahmood extended a warm welcome to members of the Pakistan Hockey contingent," the Pakistan embassy said in a release. The high commissioner, senior officials of the Pakistan mission and representatives of Hockey India were present at the airport here during the team's transit on its way to Bhubaneswar, it said. The team entered India through the Wagah-Attari border, according to the release. For their part, team manager Hasan Sardar and Captain Muhamad Rizwan thanked the high commissioner and other senior officials for their support. "High Commissioner Sohail Mahmood extended best wishes to the Pakistani hockey team for success during the Hockey World Cup," the release said. The Pakistani team will play its pool matches against Germany on December 1, Malaysia on December 5, and the Netherlands on December 9.

Pak high commissioner welcomes hockey team in India