League points will stick around: Why opening games are crucial at Hockey World Cup

The upcoming FIH Men’s and Women’s World Cups in Belgium and the Netherlands will be played under a new three-stage format, making the league phase even more crucial as points earned in the opening round will be carried forward to the next stage. That is, the result achieved against a team played in the league counts for the final ranking in the new pool in the next phase.

By MANUJA VEERAPPA