Junior Hockey World Cup Draw Pits India Against Pakistan in Pool B

India is gearing up to host the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup from November 28 to December 10, with matches scheduled in Chennai and Madurai. The host nation finds itself in Pool B, alongside rivals Pakistan, as well as Chile and Switzerland.

Action from a previous hockey match.

The draw ceremony, a significant event held at the FIH headquarters, marks a historic moment for the tournament, as it 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 saw the presence of prominent figures, including FIH President Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India (HI) Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh, and Hockey India Director General RK Srivastava.

FIH President Ikram emphasized the importance 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 to the excitement, noting, "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 mentioned that this World Cup is an opportunity to enhance hockey infrastructure and introduce a new state-of-the-art hockey stadium in the city of Madurai.

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