Junior Hockey World Cup Draw: India, Pakistan Set for Showdown in Pool B

India is preparing to host the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup, scheduled from November 28 to December 10 in Chennai and Madurai. The host nation finds itself in Pool B, where they will compete against Pakistan, Chile, and Switzerland.

Hockey (AP Photo)

The draw ceremony, a significant event held at the FIH headquarters, marks a historic moment as the tournament expands to include 24 teams for the first time. This expansion reflects the FIH's commitment to global youth engagement in 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 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 chief Tayyab Ikram emphasized the significance 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 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." He also highlighted the opportunity to enhance hockey infrastructure, including the introduction of a new state-of-the-art hockey stadium in Madurai.

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