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 from November 28 to December 10. The cities of Chennai and Madurai will serve as venues for the prestigious tournament. The Indian team finds itself in Pool B, where they will face off against rivals Pakistan, as well as Chile and Switzerland.

Hockey (AP Photo)

The official draw ceremony, a landmark event, was held at the FIH headquarters, signaling the first time that 24 teams will compete for the title.

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

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." He also highlighted the opportunity to improve 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.