India to Host Junior Hockey World Cup; Pool B Showdown Looms with Pakistan

India is gearing up to host the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup from November 28 to December 10. The cities of Chennai and Madurai will serve as the battlegrounds for this prestigious tournament. As hosts, India finds itself placed in Pool B, where they will face off against rivals Pakistan, as well as Chile and Switzerland.

The draw ceremony, a significant event, took place at the FIH headquarters. This year marks a milestone as the tournament expands to include 24 teams for the first time, promising a more competitive and diverse field.

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 was attended by key figures including FIH President Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India (HI) Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, and Hockey India Director General RK Srivastava.

"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," stated FIH President Ikram.

Bhola Nath Singh emphasized the broader impact of the tournament, noting, "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 added, "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.