The hockey World Cup kicked off on 27 November with scintillating performances from AR Rahman, Madhuri Dixit and Shah Rukh Khan at the grand opening ceremony held at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium. The event was flagged off in presence of captains of all the 16 participating teams and Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik.
India will look forward to winning their second world title under Manpreet Singh's charge at the Hockey World Cup 2018. And hockey fans too would list to witness the hosts – currently ranked fifth in the world – script history at home.
The Indian hockey team begin their World Cup 2018 campaign with a Pool C match against South Africa in their opening fixture. Here’s all you need to know about the India vs South Africa, Hockey World Cup Match:
When is India vs South Africa, Hockey World Cup Match?
The India vs South Africa men’s hockey group stage match will be played on 28 November at 7:00 pm IST.
What time does the India vs South Africa Match Begin?
The India vs South Africa men’s hockey group stage match will begin at 7:00 pm IST.
Where to Watch India vs South Africa Hockey Match on TV?
India vs South Africa Hockey World Cup 2018 match live broadcast will be available on DD Sports in Hindi Commentary and Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Selected 1 HD in English commentary on TV.
Where to Watch India vs South Africa Hockey Match Online?
The live streaming of the matches will be available on Hotstar and on the official YouTube channel and Facebook page of International Hockey Federation.
India vs South Africa, HWC Squads:
India: PR Sreejesh, Krishna Bahadur Pathak, Harmanpreet Singh, Birendra Lakra, Varun Kumar, Kothajit Singh Khadangbam, Surender Kumar, Amit Rohidas, Manpreet Singh (C), Chinglensana Singh Kangujam, Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh, Sumit, Akashdeep Singh, Mandeep Singh, Dilpreet Singh, Lalit Kumar Upadhyay and Simranjeet Singh.
South Africa: Tim Drummond (C), Dayaan Cassiem, Taylor Dart, Tyson Dlungwana, Jethro Eustice, Rhett Halkett, Tommy Hammond, Keenan Horne, Julian Hykes, Gowan Jones, Peabo Lembethe, Mo Mea, Bili Ntuli, Taine Paton, Richard Pautz, Rassie Pieterse, Austin Smith and Nic Spooner
India's Big Test
The match against Belgium is India’s big test in the pool stages and a win against the Red Lions is a must for the hosts to avoid the cross-overs and qualify directly for the quarter-finals.
Facing Fund Crunch, South Africa Players Pay Their Way To World Cup
Not amongst the favourites to lift the trophy, South Africa players have paid from their own pockets to just be a part of the men's hockey World Cup.
World number 15 South Africa coach Mark Hopkins said the biggest hurdle for the growth of the game in South Africa is "funding".
“The more hockey South Africa plays the better it is. But our challenge is to get the funding in place to allow us to compete in as many Test matches we possibly can.”South Africa coach Mark Hopkins told PTI
"We are coming into the World Cup with players needing to pay from their own pocket. They paid to be part of the camps. Our challenge is to get the funding in place. We are lucky to have a few sponsors but the sponsorships we have don't really cover the budget of the World Cup,” he said.
(With inputs from PTI)
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