KUALA LUMPUR: Chile is ready to spice up Malaysia's group in their World Cup hockey debut in India.
The South Americans are ready to give the Netherlands, Malaysia and New Zealand a taste of their fiery hockey in the Bhubaneswar-Rourkela World Cup which starts on Jan 13.
Led by Fernando Renz, the Chileans who arrived in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, will play their opening game against New Zealand on Jan 14.
While Chile coach Jorge Dabanch is wary of his Group C opponents, he believes in the fighting spirit of his players.
"There are many top teams in the World Cup and, of course, hosts India are one of them. Australia, Belgium and the Netherlands will be tough teams to beat but we will look to register a win against these sides in the tournament.
"I believe that tactically, our team is good and we are excited over the kind of challenges in the tournament," said Dabanch.
Chile skipper Renz said the players in his squad have been together for the last four years, and this has helped them become a strong unit.
"We have been playing together for four years. So, we are a team that are really tough to beat," said Renz.
Following their opening match against New Zealand, Chile will take on Malaysia in Rourkela on Jan 16 and conclude their group engagement against three-time world champions, the Netherlands, on Jan 19 in Bhubaneswar.