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Cricket icons Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar wish Team India good luck ahead of Hockey World Cup opener
The World Cup will start in India today with hosts taking on Spain in their first game
India's Virat Kohli (right) celebrates after scoring a century against Sri Lanka. -- AFP
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 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo where they won the bronze medal.
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.
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," the former India skipper tweeted.
National Cricket Academy (NCA) chief VVS Laxman tweeted: "Wishing Team India lots of success in the #HockeyWorldCup2023 Let's cheer our team! @TheHockeyIndia."
Indian 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.
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