FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup
Coach Sreejesh warns ‘on-paper favourites’ India to stay switched on at home during FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025
(Courtesy : Hockey India)
India will begin their campaign against Chile on November 28 followed by the meeting with Oman a day later.
The Indian junior men’s hockey team will take on Chile in their season opener of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 on Friday, November 28. The Indian Colts are pitted in Pool B of the competition alongside Chile, Switzerland, and Oman.
The upcoming edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup will be played across two venues in Tamil Nadu – the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai and the Madurai International Hockey Stadium.
Teams have been divided into six pools of four teams each. Pool A comprises Canada, Germany, Ireland, and South Africa. Pool B sees Chile, Switzerland, Oman, and hosts India grouped together. Pool C includes Argentina, China, Japan, and New Zealand. Belgium, Egypt, Namibia, and Spain have been placed in Pool D.
Pool E features Austria, England, Malaysia, and the Netherlands, while Australia, Bangladesh, France, and South Korea make up Pool F.
The Indian junior men’s hockey team will be led by Rohit and will look to lift the silverware on home soil under the guidance of player-turned-coach PR Sreejesh. They last won the prestigious event in 2016, hosted in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Indian colts head coach PR Sreejesh and captain Rohit addressed the media ahead of the opening encounter against Chile.
Coach Sreejesh spoke about the months of hard work and practice the team has put in, and also stated that the future of the players begins, and a good performance will open the doors of the senior team.
“Every single player in the team knows how important this tournament is for them. This is where their future begins and a good show here, would certainly mean they push for a place in the senior team.
“Having said that, the players are eager to get going. It has been several months of preparations and now is the time to perform,” he said.
The junior team played against the senior team and also played three friendly matches against Argentina at the Mayor Radhakrisnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai last week as preparation for the tournament.
“We got to play the Senior India side regularly during our preparations over the past few months. And coming here almost two weeks early has helped us get used to the ground conditions.
“The mood in the squad is upbeat and also some nervousness before we start the campaign. But we trust in our preparations and will take it one match at a time,” captain Rohit said.
Also Read: FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025: Top five Indian players to watch out for
Sreejesh spoke positively about his players and said that the players didn’t take too long to adjust to him as a coach.
“It didn’t take much time for them to adjust with me. It’s quite different when you are playing with a senior team and training with a junior team. The way they play is really good. They work hard. You can see the performance of the players,” he said.
He also heaped praise on the hockey fans in Chennai, having played at the same venue a couple of years back during the Asian Champions Trophy 2023. Sreejesh is looking forward to a full-house crowd backing the young Indian players as they look to repeat heroics from 2016.
India will begin their campaign against Chile on November 28 in Chennai and will take on Oman on November 29 in Chennai, before playing their final group stage fixture vs Switzerland in Madurai.
When asked about their opponent, Chile, coach Sreejesh said: “On paper, we might be the favourite, but we have to play our game. The opponents are here to play, and we have to be switched on.”
Where and when will FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 take place?
The 2025 edition of the tournament will be played in Chennai and Madurai in Tamil Nadu from November 28 to December 10.
When will Team India begin their campaign in FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025?
India will start their tournament on the opening day itself in Chennai against Chile.
Who are the other teams in India’s group at FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025?
India are in Pool B alongside Chile, Switzerland and Oman.
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Farzan is a journalist at Khel Now covering Indian Olympic sports and kabaddi. With five years of experience working with major sports organizations like Chennaiyin FC, Dabang Delhi K.C., Rajasthan Royals, and Yuva Kabaddi Series, he brings diverse expertise. Farzan has covered two Olympics, one Commonwealth Games, and one Asian Games, making his knowledge of Indian sports broad and versatile.