Junior Hockey World Cup Draw Pits India Against Pakistan in Group Stage Showdown

India is gearing up 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 host nation finds itself in Pool B, facing off against rivals Pakistan, as well as Chile and Switzerland.

Image: A dynamic hockey match.

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.

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 graced by the presence of FIH President Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India (HI) Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, and Hockey India Director General RK Srivastava.

FIH President Ikram stated that hosting the 24-team FIH Junior Hockey World Cup is a significant step towards empowering and engaging youth from all nations, particularly emerging ones, as part of the FIH strategy.

Bhola Nath added that the World Cup offers an opportunity to enhance hockey infrastructure, including the introduction of a new state-of-the-art hockey stadium in Madurai.

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