Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], December 5 (ANI): The Trophy Tour of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 officially kicked off on Monday in Bhubaneswar with Chief Minister of Odisha Naveen Patnaik handing over the trophy to Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey.

The last leg of the tour will be in Rourkela before finally returning to Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar where the finals will be played on January 29, 2023.

Wishing the trophy tour a grand success, Chief Minister Patnaik said, "I hope the Hockey Men's World Cup Trophy Tour will build excitement for the World Cup across India. We will be hosting 16 teams and the matches will be played in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.""I am sure it will be a memorable World Cup for the teams and the fans," the CM added.

Minister for Sports and youth services Tusharkanti Behera, Secretary General Hockey India Bholanath Singh, Commissioner-cum-Secretary Sri R. Vineel Krishna, Executive Director Hockey India Mr R.K Srivastava and officials and hockey players were present on this occasion.

The prestigious trophy will travel across 12 states and one Union territory, before returning to Bhubaneswar. The 21-day tour will see the trophy move across West Bengal, Manipur, Assam, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka, before finally returning to Odisha on December 25, 2022, after which, the trophy will go on a tour of the state of Odisha.

In the next 21-days the trophy will journey across West Bengal, Manipur, Assam, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Chattisgarh.

Once back in Odisha, the Hockey Men's World Cup Trophy will tour across all the districts. The trophy will also visit the 17 blocks of Sundargarh which is famed for being the cradle of Hockey.

The FIH Odisha Hockey Men's World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela will begin from January 13, 2022 and will go on till January 29. Hosts India, who are placed in Pool D, along with Spain, England, and Wales, opening their campaign against Spain on January 13 as well.

Australia, Belgium, Netherlands, India, Argentina, Germany, New Zealand, England, France, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, South Africa, Japan, Chile, and Wales are the 16 teams, who will be competing in the tournament. (ANI)