Indian dressing room is brimming with anticipation, excitement in equal measure: Harmanpreet

ROURKELA: With just ten days left for the start of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023, the captain of the Indian Men's Hockey Team expressed the mood in the dressing room at the stellar Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium.

As hosts, India is fancied to finish on the podium and the expectations are far greater this time particularly after the team's stupendous performance at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 where they ended a 41-year long wait to stand on the podium again by bagging the Bronze Medal.

"There is anticipation and excitement in equal measure," expressed Harmanpreet. "As the team bus entered the Rourkela city and drove closer to the hockey facility, there were thousands of fans who thronged the streets with tri-colour flags and cheered for us as they welcomed us into their home town. We were simply speechless by the gesture, and it was then that we actually got a sense of how much hockey means to the people of this region," exclaimed the ace dragflicker.

Speaking candidly, Harmanpreet went on to add, "Until we arrived here, we had only heard about the passion and love people have for hockey here through our teammates Nilam and Amit but it was only after we witnessed the reception we received on our arrival, did we realise that this World Cup experience will be like no other."

Starting January 4, international teams will start arriving in Odisha for the coveted tournament. Former runners-up the Netherlands will be the first team to arrive on Wednesday, followed by Chile on Thursday and the defending Champions Belgium arrive on Friday along with the World no.1 Australia among other teams. Each day, until the January 8, hosts Hockey India and Odisha State Government will be welcoming participating teams to the hockey-crazy state, which is hosting its second Hockey World Cup. IANS