The others get paid to represent their nation, but this bunch of mavericks pays to play for the flag. (More Hockey News)
The passion to play hockey despite overwhelming odds, it seems, is the tonic f🌃or Wales players which keeps the excitement b🏅ubbling over.
With next to negligible crowd support -- the biggest stadium in the country can accommodate 200 spectators -- and player having to shell out 1,000 pounds every year to play for the national team, only a band of diehard athletes can manage to dribble past the hardsh♓ips and still sport broad smiles on their faces.
Wales, who are making their FIH Men's World Cup debut in Rourkela, will be pleasantly surprise🍸d -- or, perhaps, awestruck -- when they see the stadiums in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela packed to the rafters.
Their journey🌳 to India perha𒊎ps hasn't been business-class either as the team had to resort to crowd-funding to raise 25,000 pounds to cover flights, accommodation and meals in the two host cities.
"Crowd-funding is part of the means to reduce the cost to the players. Players also contribute; every player pays 1,000 pounds per year to play for Wales," said head coach Daniel Newcombe s𒊎aid ahead of his side's opening match against England.
India and Spain areꩵ the other teams they will have to co🧔ntend with in Group D.
"Hockey is a small sport and our national stadium c♌an take about 200 people, which is very different from the one here (21,000-capacity Birsa Munda Stadium).
"Our funding from the government is limited and so players also contribute. But due to our recent successes by qualifying for bigger tour๊naments, we have got more trips and our government has been really helpful. We have got a shirt sponsor now and this has reduced the cost (on the players)," added Newcombe.
Wales had made it to the showpiece through the E🔯uropean qualifying event in Cardiff, their country's capital.
Newcombe takes pridღe in saying that his side has made it to the showpiece event three years after hitting rock bott🔯om in world hockey.
"We need public exposure, sponsor to grow. But, we have moved from 36th spot to 15th (in FIH rankings) ༒in the third year of European hockey and now to the World Cup. We are not done yet."
Captain Rupert Shipperley said the stat🐟us of hockey back home leaves ♕him frustrated at times.
"It's frustratin🐻g at times... the situation. There has been improvement in the last few years, but not yet at the level it should be," the 30-year-old midfielder said on Thursday🏅.
Shipperley is one 🎉of the two players who played for Great Brita෴in in the Tokyo Olympics, but is now donning the Wales jersey.
Jꦗacob Draper is the ot🌺her one who played for GBR in Tokyo.
So, will there be split loyalties?
"No room for friendship as of now," coach Newcombe said, as Shipperley w꧒ill be up against his GBR teammates on Friday.
"We may not be household names in Ind♌ia, but we have to prove that we have not come here to make up the numbers," Ne💯wcombe added.
