Five defenders to watch out for at Men's Hockey World Cup 2023

The quadrennial mega event begins in a day's time with Argentina taking on South Africa.

The 15th edition of the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup will be held in the Odisha cities of Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29. It will be hosted at Bhubaneswar's Kalinga Stadium and Rourkela's 20,000-seater Birsa Munda International Hockey Stadium. As we countdown to the start of the extravaganza, the 16 top men's teams from around the world are converging in Odisha, already.

Each team arrives with the goal of becoming World Champions, but only one team will be crowned at the end of the World Cup. Before the tournament gets underway, let us take a look at the top five defenders to watch out for at the World Cup. 

Alexander Hendrickx (Belgium) 

He is without a doubt the world's top defender right now. Furthermore, Hendrickx is so adept at taking penalty corners that he is feared amongst the opposition just for his goal-scoring ability. Therefore even if he makes mistakes in defence, he still is a valuable member of the squad. His defensive abilities are also excellent. The 28-year-old has played over 140 times for his country and scored more than 50 goals.

The Y1 Hockey ambassador has three gold medals from the EuroHockey Championship, the World Cup, and the Olympics. Hendricks’ 14 goals in Tokyo opened the path for Belgium's dominance there as they won the gold medal. It'll be intriguing to watch where he goes next. The Belgian team will undoubtedly require his skills if they are to maintain their current form.

Harmanpreet Singh (India)

He is the only Indian on the list of the top defenders in the World Cup. The FIH Player of the Year for 2020-2021 is also a stern gatekeeper. Harman has the ability to slow down any opposing attack and is quick to mark opponents in the D-box. His chemistry with the goalkeeper PR Sreejesh has helped India save numerous penalty corners and field goals.

He moves the ball away from danger whenever necessary and gives outstanding midfield support. Singh is currently one of the most prominent players in the Indian squad and the Indian captain would have the task to lead his team from the front. 

Jip Janssen (Netherlands)

The Dutch defender is a highly capable defender. The 24-year-old has made over 60 appearances for his country and has held up the Dutch defence well. Janssen made his senior team debut in 2017 and has been a regular since 2019. In addition to providing defensive stability, the Naarden native is a skilled goal scorer. Jansen took bronze in the 2019 FIH Pro League.

The following year, he won another bronze medal at the EuroHockey Championship in Antwerp. Janssen broke this record last year in Amstelveen, winning gold. The Netherlands also had the best defensive record in Amstelveen. They allowed only two goals in the group stages, the fewest of any team.

Matias Rey (Argentina)

He is the most senior player on our list of the greatest defenders in men's hockey right now in the World Cup. The 37-year-old is originally from Buenos Aires. Rey began his senior season in 2006 and is still going strong. The great defender has appeared in almost 230 games for Los Leones. He has one of the most decorated careers in the game.

The San Fernando defender has three Pan American Cup gold medals. Among his many accomplishments are a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics, a bronze in the Champions Trophy, and a silver at the Hockey World League. The Men's Pan American Cup in 2022 deserves special consideration. Matias was named Player of the Tournament at the event.

Jeremy Hayward (Australia)

He is one of Australia's most experienced defenders and is essential to the Australian hockey squad. The Darwin native has proudly served his country more than 160 times. At the 2014 Men's Hockey World Cup, the 29-year-defender old's abilities shone through. At the age of 21, he was named Young Player of the Tournament. Hayward was also a member of the Kookaburras' Olympic team for the 2020 Tokyo Games.

For the first time since 2004, the Australians also made it to the finals of the event. However, they were defeated by Belgium in a penalty shootout. Despite this, Hayward's performance stood out. Because of him, Australia had a strong defensive record in Tokyo.