Junior Hockey World Cup: India to Host, Draw Pits Them Against Pakistan in Pool B

India is gearing up to host the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup from November 28 to December 10. The tournament will be held in Chennai and Madurai, marking a significant moment for Indian hockey. The Indian team finds itself in Pool B, where they will face off against rivals Pakistan, Chile, and Switzerland.

Hockey players in action (AP Photo)

The draw ceremony, a landmark event, was conducted at the FIH headquarters. This year's tournament is particularly special as it will be the first time that 24 teams will participate, showcasing the growing global interest in junior hockey.

The composition of the other pools is as follows:

• Pool A: Germany, South Africa, Canada, and Ireland.
• Pool C: Argentina, New Zealand, Japan, and China.
• Pool D: Spain, Belgium, Egypt, and Namibia.
• Pool E: Netherlands, Malaysia, England, and Austria.
• Pool F: France, Australia, Korea, and Bangladesh.

The draw ceremony saw the presence of key figures including FIH president Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India (HI) secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, and Hockey India Director General RK Srivastava.

FIH President Tayyab Ikram emphasized the importance of the tournament in promoting youth engagement: "It is a great pleasure for me to be here ahead of a milestone moment as we start the journey towards the first ever 24-team FIH Junior Hockey World Cup! It is a part of the FIH strategy to empower and engage the youth from all nations, including the emerging nations, and this event will be the first step towards doing that."

Bhola Nath highlighted the opportunity to improve hockey infrastructure in India, stating, "This World Cup also brings with it the opportunity to enhance our hockey infrastructure, and in the city of Madurai, introduce a new state-of-art hockey stadium." He also noted the historical significance of the expanded tournament: "Today marks a landmark moment for the world of hockey as we witness the pool draw for the inaugural FIH Junior Men's Hockey World Cup, featuring 24 nations."

Germany enters the tournament as the defending champions, having secured their seventh title by defeating France 2-1 in the 2023 final.