Bhubaneswar and Rourkela are set to host the next edition of the World Cup from January 13 to 29, but there has been increasing uncertainty surrounding Hockey India's governance which prompted a visit of an FIH delegation.

Acting President Seif Ahmed and chief executive Thierry Weil travelled to India to meet with the three members of the CoA in Anil R Dave, S.Y. Quraishi and Zafar Iqbal.

Delhi High Court recently ruled in favour of placing the CoA to run Hockey India's day-to-day affairs, after former player Aslam Sher Khan challenged the appointment of Narinder Batra as life member and Life President.

Last month, Batra stepped down as President of the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) and FIH citing "personal reasons".

The FIH delegation met with the Government of Odisha's Commissioner-cum-Secretary for the Sports and Youth Services Department R. Vineel Krishna to receive a progress report on the preparations for the World Cup.

A site visit to Rourkela by members of the FIH and CoA is now planned on September 7, with the draw for the World Cup to be announced from Bhubaneswar the following day.

The FIH claimed that the "development of infrastructure for the prestigious tournament was appreciated by all".

"The members of the CoA and FIH expressed their collective appreciation towards the State Government of Odisha and look forward to an exceptional global event taking place on January 13 to 29 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela as a befitting finale to India’s celebrations of 75 years of Independence," a joint statement read.

India also held the 2010 and 2018 editions of the Men's Hockey World Cup.

The FIH and CoA also received a first draft of Hockey India's modified constitution, with a final draft promised within 10 days, and agreed that elections to the national body should be concluded by October 9.

CoA member Dave welcomed the visit by the FIH representatives.

"We are very thankful for this visit by the FIH delegation," he commented.

"The interaction was extremely positive and encouraging.

"We have been able to conclude and agree on some important next steps to ensure the continued smooth functioning of hockey in India keeping in mind the foremost importance of the spirit of the sport and best interest of our athletes."

The FIH also held what it described as a "positive meeting" with Sujata Chaturvedi, the secretary of sports at the Department of Sports within the Indian Government's Department of Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

Egyptian official Ahmed vowed to honour the ruling of the Delhi High Court on Hockey India's governance.

"We don’t consider the court as a third party and respect the judiciary," the FIH Acting President said.

"We believe that the order of a court is not an interference."

This stance is in contrast to that of FIFA, which suspended the All India Football Federation due to "undue influence from third parties" after Praful Patel was ousted as President by the Indian Supreme Court in May and a three-member CoA appointed to manage its affairs.

This put the status of October's FIFA Under-17 Women's World Cup in India in doubt.

A three-member CoA has also been appointed by the New Delhi High Court to take over the IOA.

India is due to host next year's International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Mumbai, but the IOC has warned the IOA that it could face suspension if elections are not held in the coming weeks.