The Netherlands men's hockey team arrived here in Odisha on Wednesday for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela, which will be held from January 13 to 29. A rousing welcome was given to the three-time champions of the Men's Hockey World Cup at the Biju Patnaik International Airport here. Netherlands is also the first international team to arrive for the mega event.
The Netherlands, led by Thierry Brinkman, will complete their final preparations in Bhubaneswar before travelling to Rourkela on January 10, where they will face Malaysia in their first match of the tournament on January 14. The Dutch team is one of the most decorated in the sport, having won the World Cup in 1973, 1990, and 1998, as well as reaching the finals in the last two editions.
The Netherlands are placed in Pool C, along with Chile, Malaysia and New Zealand. After their match against Malaysia on the second day of the competition, the Netherlands play New Zealand on January 16, in Rourkela, and round up their group stage campaign against Chile on January 19 in Bhubaneswar.