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Dutch hockey players will face New Zealand, Malaysia and Chile in the World Cup group stage in January. This is evident from the draw for the World Final Tournament in India on Thursday.
By our sportswritersNew Zealand are on paper the toughest opponent of the Netherlands. The ‘Kiwis’ have been participating in the World Cup since 1998 and are ninth in the world rankings. Orange is number three on this list behind Australia and Belgium.
The Netherlands, who meet a debutant at World Cup level with Chile, were named group leaders in the draw. India, Australia and Belgium also had a similar status, so these four countries could not meet.
Reigning champions Belgium have been paired with Germany, South Korea and Japan and are seeded in Group B. The other two groups are made up of Australia, South Africa, France and Argentina (group A) and India, Wales, Spain and England (group D).
The last Dutch world title dates from 1998
The group winners at the World Cup qualify – like the women – directly for the quarter-finals of the World Cup. Numbers two and three also have a chance to progress and must play an intermediate round for a place in the last eight.
In India, national coach Jeroen Delmee’s side are aiming for the first Dutch world title since 1998. In the last two editions, the Netherlands have lost in the final battle and had to settle for silver.
World Cup of Hockey matches will be played in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The two cities are approximately 300 kilometers apart. The match schedule (venues and times) will be published later this year.
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