Junior Hockey World Cup: India Draws Pakistan in Pool B as Tournament Expands to 24 Teams

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

Action shot of field hockey players during a match.

The official draw ceremony took place at the FIH headquarters, a significant event as this edition marks the first time 24 teams will participate.

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 attended 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." This tournament presents an opportunity to improve hockey infrastructure, including the introduction of a new state-of-the-art hockey stadium in Madurai.

Germany is the current champion, having defeated France 2-1 in the 2023 final to claim their seventh title.