Junior Hockey World Cup Draw: India, Pakistan Set for Pool B Showdown as Tournament Expands

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

Hockey players in action during a match

The draw ceremony, a landmark event held at the FIH headquarters, signifies a historic moment as the tournament expands to include 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

The draw 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 President Tayyab Ikram emphasized the significance of the expanded tournament: "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 highlighted the opportunity to enhance hockey infrastructure, stating, "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." He further 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.