Junior Hockey World Cup: India to Face Pakistan in Pool B at Expanded Tournament

India is gearing up to host the highly anticipated FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup, scheduled from November 28 to December 10 in the cities of Chennai and Madurai. The Indian team finds itself in Pool B, where they will face off against rivals Pakistan, as well as Chile and Switzerland.

Action from a previous hockey match. (AP Photo)

The draw ceremony, a significant event, took place at the FIH headquarters. This year's tournament is particularly noteworthy as it marks the first time that 24 teams will participate, making it the largest Junior Men's Hockey World Cup to date.

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 prominent figures such as FIH president Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India (HI) secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, and Hockey India Director General RK Srivastava.

FIH chief Tayyab Ikram stated, "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 Singh further added to the excitement, saying, "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, with the introduction of a new state-of-the-art hockey stadium in Madurai.

The defending champions, Germany, will be looking to retain their title after their victory over France in the 2023 final.