In just over a month, the twelfth Hockey World Cup (not to be confused with the “World Cup of Hockey” which is the Ice Hockey equivalent) will hit off in Delhi, India.
The World Cup is the hockey’s premier event and the number one world ranking is also up for grabs, if Australia finish higher than Germany.
In addition to this, it will prove to be an important trial of the Indian authorities’ security arrangements ahead of the Commonwealth Games later this year.
The venue Major Dyhan Chand National Stadium (named after probably the best ever Indian hockey player) will host 38 matches involving the 12 of the top 14 teams (China and Belgium failed to qualify) split into two pools over the 14 day tournament, and seats about 20,000 people.
Pool A is consists of (world ranking in Brackets) Germany (1), Netherlands (4), Korea (5), New Zealand (8), Canada (10) and Argentina (14).
Pool B will be contested by Australia (2), Spain (3), England (6), Pakistan (7), India (12) and South Africa (13).
Only 5 countries have won the World Cup, with Pakistan (4 titles) leading the Netherlands (3) and Germany (2), with Australia and India both with 1 title each.
The biggest challenge that the event will have, apart from the Indian national team going on strike over a dispute with the national association, is the overlap with the Indian Premier League (even if it is only two days), and getting lost in the hype in the lead up to the IPL.
This challenge although seeming insurmountable, perhaps is not as great as it seems with the IPL not scheduling a match in Delhi until after the end of the tournament, and the IPL’s willingness to reschedule it’s fixtures to avoid clashing with the Finals.
The proof, though, will be in how well attended the tournament is.
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