India to Host Junior Hockey World Cup, Set to Face Pakistan in Pool B

India is preparing 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, where it will face off against Pakistan, Chile, and Switzerland.

A thrilling hockey face-off.

The draw ceremony, a landmark event, took place at the FIH headquarters. This year marks a significant expansion for the tournament, as it welcomes 24 teams for the first time.

The pool compositions are as follows:

• Pool A: Germany, South Africa, Canada, and Ireland
• Pool B: India, Pakistan, Chile, and Switzerland
• 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

FIH President Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India (HI) Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, and Hockey India Director General RK Srivastava were all in attendance at the draw ceremony.

"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 Chief Ikram.

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."

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

"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."