Indian hockey team arrives in Odisha ahead of FIH World Cup 2023

The Indian men’s hockey team arrived on Tuesday in Odisha nearly two weeks ahead of their opening match at the much-awaited FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela. Led by Captain Harmanpreet Singh, the Indian team first landed in Bhubaneswar at the Biju Patnaik International Airport before making their way to the Veer Surendra Sai Airport, Jharsuguda. From the Jharsuguda airport, the team and Indian Men’s Hockey Team Chief Coach Graham Reid travelled to Rourkela, where they will go through the final preparations. Upon their arrival, the Indian Men’s Hockey Team received a warm reception from the fans who had gathered in large numbers outside both airports to welcome the team. Speaking on the mood and atmosphere in Odisha ahead of the tournament, Chief Coach Graham Reid said, "Odisha is like our second home and we are very happy to be back here. We are looking forward to the next two weeks here in Rourkela and will be going through final touches to our game. We are well-prepared for the challenge and expect the pitch conditions to be similar to that of Bhubaneswar."