Hockey World Cup 2023: Spain excited to open campaign against India

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Bhubaneswar, January 9: Spain captain Alvaro Iglesias has said his team can't wait to play to India in their FIH Odisha Hockey World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela campaign opener.

Spain Men's Hockey Team, who reached Rourkela from Bhubaneswar through Charter Flights, will open their HWC campaign against the hosts India in Rourkela on January 13 and as per their captain it is the most exciting challenge for any opposition in the world.

"I think it's the most exciting game you can play. If someone asks anyone which game they want to play, probably everyone will say they want to play against India in India in the opening match of the World Cup," Iglesias was quoted as saying in a Hockey India release.

"It will be great. The preparation has been good. We have been training a lot together and we are waiting for the moment."

Iglesias acknowledge that the big stadium that will accomodate more fans especially the home support will make it difficult for his team, but he is excited to play in the atmosphere.

"We know the stadium in Rourkela is bigger. We know there will be a lot more crowd there. It will be hard to listen to our teammates and the instructions from the referee as well. But it will be an incredibly exciting atmosphere and we are really looking forward to playing here," he added.

Spain Head Coach Max Caldas, meanwhile, kept his cards close to his chest when asked about his tactics going into the first match against India. "The plan is to go to the hotel, have some rest, and have some food and take it easy," he said.

Spain played against India and New Zealand at the FIH Men's Hockey Pro League 2022/23 recently and coach Caldas said that his team is used to playing in India now and that will improve their game.

"It's an honour and joy for us to come back to India. We love coming here. We are looking forward to the challenges. When you are at ease at any place, you tend to feel better and then play better. And we feel at ease in India," he said.

Spain are in Group D alongside hosts India, England and Wales. They will play India on January 13 and Wales on January 15 at the Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela. All the match tickets in Rourkela are sold out.

When asked if the massive crowd at the stadium will affect his team's focus during match days, Spain's Head Coach said: "I think it will be challenging for all to compete in Rourkela.

"Because of the pandemic, we have forgotten how to play in front of big crowds. But we are not going to focus on that too much. We will focus on ourselves. It's a 16-team tournament. We are a young, fast team and we are going to play to our guns and see how we go," he signed off.

Spain, who play their opening two matches in Rourkela, will play their final pool phase match against England on January 19 at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.

Source: HI Release