Virat, Sachin wish Team India good luck ahead of Hockey World Cup

NEW DELHI: With Team India all set to open their FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 campaign against Spain on Friday, former India skipper Virat Kohli and legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar wished them good luck for the marquee event.

The World Cup will be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to January 29. India are placed in Pool D along with England, Wales and Spain.

India will seek a podium finish 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.

Sachin Tendulkar took to Twitter and wished the Indian team good luck. "Wishing the Indian Men's Hockey Team all the very best for the Hockey World Cup. We'll all be cheering for you! Chak De!" Sachin Tendulkar tweeted.

Virat Kohli wished Team India good luck and said "we all are backing you." "My best wishes to our Indian men's hockey team for the World Cup. Go and enjoy yourself, we all are backing you. Good luck," Former India skipper Virat Kohli tweeted.

National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman wrote in a tweet, "Wishing Team India lots of success in the #HockeyWorldCup2023 Let's cheer our team! @TheHockeyIndia."

Hockey player Rupinder Pal Singh wrote in a tweet accompanied by a video message to the Indian team, "Best wishes for #TeamIndia for the Hockey World Cup 2023 Let's cheer our team!"

India's star batter Jemimah Rodrigues also wished Team India in a tweet with a video message,"Jeetega bhai jeetega INDIA jeetega!! I'm cheering team INDIA this hockey world cup!! Let's goooooo boys!!"

India batter Mayank Agarwal said he is rooting for the Men in Blue and wrote, "Here we are - the 2023 Hockey World Cup has arrived and I'm rooting for #TeamIndia all the way!"

A total of 16 teams - Australia, Argentina, France, South Africa, Belgium, Germany, South Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Malaysia, Chile, India, England, Spain and Wales - will play for the Men's Hockey World Cup trophy.