INDIA's men's team has been drawn in the same group as Pakistan, England and Wales in the pool stage of the FIH Hockey World Cup, to be co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium later this year.
The draw was held on Tuesday (17) at the Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam. India's women's team was placed alongside China, England and South Africa in the same tournament, which runs from August 15 to 30.
Both the men's and women's teams have been placed in Pool D in their respective categories and will play their matches in the Netherlands, according to the International Hockey Federation (FIH). The full match schedule will be announced on Wednesday (18).
Germany, the defending men's champions, who won their third World Cup title in 2023 in Bhubaneswar by defeating Belgium, have been drawn in Pool B alongside Belgium, France and Malaysia.
The draw was conducted by former players Naomie van As, Barbara Neelen and Teun de Nooijer, along with DJ La Fuente, who was named the Dutch ambassador for the tournament.
FIH president Tayyab Ikram said the event could help bring people together at a time of global conflict.
"Today's draw marks another major milestone on the road to the FIH Hockey World Cup. The upcoming edition, for both women and men, co-hosted by two hockey powerhouses, promises to be a resounding success. We are very grateful to both Belgium and the Netherlands for hosting our top athletes and the global hockey community in less than six months' time. In today's fractured world, sport, and events such as this in particular, can play a substantial role in bringing people together. It can foster peace at times when our world is torn apart by conflict," he said.
The Pools
Men: Pool A: Netherlands, Argentina, New Zealand, Japan (playing in the Netherlands) Pool B: Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia (playing in Belgium) Pool C: Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa (playing in Belgium) Pool D: England, India, Pakistan, Wales (playing in the Netherlands)
Women: Pool A: Netherlands, Australia, Chile, Japan (playing in the Netherlands) Pool B: Argentina, Germany, USA, Scotland (playing in Belgium) Pool C: Belgium, Spain, New Zealand, Ireland (playing in Belgium) Pool D: China, England, India, South Africa (playing in the Netherlands)
