Page 2 - Hockey World Cup 2018: England vs China

Hockey World Cup 2018: England vs China - 5 talking points

Jubilation for World Cup debutants China

#4 England miss Sam Ward

Can England get over Sam Ward's absence?

Sam Ward was ruled out of the Odisha World Cup at the eleventh hour after suffering an injury during training, and the prolific striker's presence is being sorely missed by the English camp.

Ward who has been a livewire for the English over the years is lethal with his drag-flicks but relishes scoring goals from open play as well.

As a matter of fact, Ward scored a brace against World Champions Australia on debut in the 2014 Champions Trophy in Bhubaneswar and has been a key member of the England squad ever since.

At the Commonwealth Games at Gold Coast, Ward scored a PC brace to sink the Indians in the bronze-medal match after he had helped his side beat the Welsh with a hat-trick in the pool stages.

Ward ended up as the highest scorer at Gold Coast with 9 goals and was expected to be a key man for the English. Although Ward's replacement Liam Ansell added his name to the scoresheet against China, Danny Kerry's side seemed handicapped without the Holcombe striker.

About the author

Subhashish has been an Indian sports journalist at Sportskeeda since 2017. He primarily covers hockey along with other Indian Sports, and endeavors to bridge the coverage gap between the multitude of Indian sports and cricket via his articles. Subhashish’s interest in Indian sports peaked after watching a few hockey and football matches live during his childhood days, and has also played Hockey, Football, Table Tennis, Badminton at school and college level.

As a journalist, he covered every single Indian hockey match at the 2018 & 2022 Commonwealth Games, 2018 & 2023 Asian Games, 2018 Women's World Cup, 2018 & 2023 Men’s World Cup and the 2021 Olympics. An interview specialist, he has conducted over 100 interviews with the Indian Men's and Women's Hockey team, and has also been part of the UK-based DesiSportsCast Podcast.

Subhashish’s favorite Indian athlete is Vandana Katariya for her relentlessness and never-say-die attitude. For him, India men's hockey team's 7-1 win over Pakistan in 2017 Hockey World League semis on the same day as India men's cricket team's loss to the same opponent in the Champions Trophy final is an iconic moment in Indian Sports history.

When not writing, he likes to spend his free time blogging, singing, jogging, and trekking.

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Edited by Kishan Prasad