On 29th January 2023, Germany(Nickname: Die Honamas) won the (Fédération Internationale de Hockey or International Hockey Federation) FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 by defeating the defending champions Belgium(Nickname: The Red Lions) by 5-4 in the Penalty shootout during the finals held in Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
- This marks Germany’s 3rd hockey World Cup title, earlier they won the world cup in 2002 and 2006.
- Germany was led by Mats Grambusch, while Belgium was led by Felix Denayer
Key Points:
With this win, Germany tops the FIH Men’s World Outdoor Rankings(as of 29th January 2023). Netherlands and Belgium are ranked 2nd and 3rd.
India is ranked 6th on the FIH Men’s World Outdoor Rankings.
Germany became the fourth team to have won three or more hockey World Cup titles.
- Australia and Netherlands have won the title 3 times each and Pakistan have won the title 4 times.
About FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023:
i.FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023, the 15th edition of the Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup, is a quadrennial world championship for men’s national field hockey teams organised by the FIH.
ii.FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 was held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, Odisha and Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium in Rourkela, Odisha from 13th to 29th January 2023.
iii.A total of 16 teams participated in the tournament.
Note: This is the 2nd Consecutive Men’s Hockey World Cup hosted by Hockey India and its official partner Odisha. Previously Odisha(India) hosted the Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2018(14th edition). The event was held at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar.
Result:
| Winners (Gold Medal) | Germany |
| Runner-up (Silver Medal) | Belgium |
| Third (Bronze Medal) | Netherlands |
| Fourth | Australia |
Awards:
- Best Player- Niklas Wellen (Germany)
- Best Forward of the Tournament Award- Niklas Wellen (Germany)
- Best Midfielder of the Tournament Award- Victor Wegnez (Belgium)
- Best Defender of the Tournament Award- Jeremy Hayward (Australia)
- Best Goalkeeper- Vincent Vanasch (Belgium)
- Hero Top Scorer- Jeremy Hayward (Australia)
- JSP Foundation Best Junior Player of the Tournament- Mustapha Cassiem (South Africa)
- Fan’s Choice Award- Christopher Rühr (Germany)
- Best Team Goal Celebration Award- South Korea
- Maximum Team Goals Award- Netherlands
- Fair Play award- Belgium
- Special Mention – FIH President Tayyab Ikram presented the FIH President’s Award to Mr. V.K Pandian, Secretary (5T) to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, for his outstanding contribution to hockey.
India in 2023 World Cup:
i.The Indian hockey team, captained by Harmanpreet Singh, finished its campaign at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 on a winning note with a 5-2 victory over South Africa.
ii.With this win, India along with Argentina finished 9th on the Men’s hockey world cup 2023 ranking.
- India has won only one Hockey World Cup since the tournament started in 1971. India won the 1975 world cup held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia defeating Pakistan.
Sponsors of the event:
- Presenting Partner: Odisha Government
- Host Partner: Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC)
- FIH Global Leadership Partner: Hero MotoCorp
- Global Partners: Odisha Government; JSW Group, Watch.Hockey & FIH Hockey Manager
- Official Partners: TATA Steel & Rungta Sons
- Global Suppliers: Dream11; Osaka & Polytan
- Official Suppliers: Limca Sports, Watergen & Apollo
Trophy
i.The trophy of the Men’s Hockey World Cup is made of gold, silver, ivory and teak wood with intricate floral design and presenting a hockey stick and ball atop a globe.
ii.The trophy was designed by Bashir Moojid and created by the Pakistani Army.
Mascot
Olly, an Olive Ridley Sea Turtle wearing a blue jersey and cap, is the official mascot for the 2023 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup.
- It was in 2017 that Odisha unveiled Olly as the mascot of the Asian Athletics Championships and later the Odisha government declared ‘Olly’ as the permanent mascot for all sports events, both national and international championships, to be held in the state.
About Fédération Internationale de Hockey (FIH – International Hockey Federation):
President– Tayyab Ikram
Chief Executive Officer (CEO)– Thierry Weil
Headquarters– Lausanne, Switzerland
