New Delhi: India were drawn in the same group as Pakistan in the men’s FIH Hockey World Cup that will be held the Netherlands and Belgium later this year.
At the draw ceremony held at Amsterdam’s Wagener Stadium on Tuesday, England and Wales were placed in India’s Group D in the men’s division.
India were clubbed with China, England and South Africa in the women’s edition of the tournament that will be held between August 15 to 30.
After the draw, International Hockey Federation (FIH) said full match schedule of the two tournament will be announced on Wednesday but added both the Indian teams will play their matches in the Netherlands.
Defending men’s champions Germany were kept in Pool B alongwith Belgium, France and Malaysia.
“The draw was done by hockey legends Naomie van As, Barbara Neelen and Teun de Nooijer, as well as DJ La Fuente, who was announced as Dutch Ambassador for the World Cup during the ceremony,” FIH said in a statement.
FIH president Tayyab Ikram hoped the tournament would help shift focus to peace at a time “when our world is torn apart by conflict”.
“Today’s draw marks another major milestone on the road to the most prestigious FIH event, 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,” he said.
“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).