Junior Hockey World Cup: India to Clash with Pakistan in Pool B

India is set to host the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup from November 28 to December 10, with matches to be held in Chennai and Madurai. The highly anticipated tournament will see the host nation pitted against rivals Pakistan in Pool B, along with Chile and Switzerland.

Action shot of hockey players during a match.

The draw ceremony, a significant event held at the FIH headquarters, marked a historic moment as the tournament expands to include 24 teams for the first time.

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 witnessed 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 Ikram emphasized the importance of the tournament, stating, "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 infrastructural benefits, adding, "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 further acknowledged the significance of the event: "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.