FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025: India is 'one of the best places in world to play hockey', says England coach

FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 begins on 28th November, with final scheduled for December 10th.

It was a busy Monday at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025, in both Madurai and Chennai, as a whole host of teams made their way to India for the prestigious tournament.

Among the teams who arrived in Madurai were Malaysia, Egypt, Namibia, England, and South Africa, whilst New Zealand’s long journey to India ended in Chennai.

Arriving first on Monday was the Malaysian side, who finished 12th in 2023, and have been drawn in Pool E along with England, Austria and the Netherlands.

The Malaysians will begin their FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 against Austria on 29 November, and then take on the mighty Netherlands on 30th November. Their last group stage game will be against the England side on 2nd December.

Snapshots from the practice sessions of France, Oman, and Korea.🗓 : Nov 28 – Dec 10📍 : Chennai & Madurai📺 : Star Sports Network and JioHotstar#FIHMensJuniorWorldCup #RisingStars #JWC2025France pic.twitter.com/o3kWUQY7NI

— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) November 24, 2025

Following them were the Egypt Men’s Junior Hockey Team, who stood 9th in the 2023 edition of the tournament. Placed in Pool D with Belgium, Spain and Namibia, the Egyptians are ranked 7th in the world, and will commence their campaign in FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 against Spain on 28th November.

Their second game will be against Namibia on 30th November, and their final group stage contest pits them against the Belgians on 2nd December.

Also Read: FIH Men’s Junior World Cup 2025: Hockey India announce free tickets for fans at stadiums across Chennai & Madurai

Fellow African counterparts Namibia touched down in Madurai after that. The debutants are in Pool D with Belgium, Spain and Egypt, and will be looking to make a mark in their first appearance at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025.

Namibia’s campaign begins against Belgium on 28th November, followed by a game against Egypt on 30th November, with the final group phase contest against Spain on 2nd December.  

Namibia Coach Johann Wyhe said, “The welcome has been phenomenal — truly on another level. We deeply appreciate what Hockey India has done for us. Our team has trained very hard, and we’re ready to fight for every moment on the field and see where that takes us.”

Up next were England, who are making their first appearance at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup since 2016, when they finished eighth.

The England Men’s Junior Hockey Team have been placed in Pool E with Austria, Malaysia and the Netherlands, and will be keen to make their mark, almost a decade since their last appearance at this stage.

Also Read: FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025: Happy with progress, Belgium hope to go the distance this time

England begin their tournament against Netherlands on 29 November, and play Austria on 30th November, and close out their group stage against Malaysia on 2nd December.

England coach Jon Bleby said, “The welcome has been fantastic — truly amazing. We’re thrilled to be here in India for the World Cup. It’s one of the best places in the world to play hockey, and the passion of the people is incredible.

We’re genuinely blown away by the hospitality. Our preparations have gone well. As Great Britain, many of these players recently competed at the Sultan Johor Cup, which was valuable for our build-up. We’ve been training hard, and we’re focused on making a strong start in our first game.”

The final team to arrive in Madurai on the day was South Africa, who are placed in Pool A with Canada, Germany and Ireland.

The South African Men’s Junior Hockey Team, who finished 10th in the 2023 edition of the tournament, will open their campaign against defending champions Germany on 28th November, and then take on Ireland on 29th November, before rounding up their group stage with a match against Canada on 1st December.

South Africa Coach Guy Elliot said, “It’s absolutely amazing to be here. We didn’t expect such a loud and warm welcome, and the hospitality so far has been outstanding.

We’ve only just arrived, but the energy has already made us even more excited for the tournament. Our preparations have gone well — we toured China a couple of months ago, and this journey has been two years in the making. Now we hope to show what we’re truly capable of.”

Meanwhile, in Chennai, New Zealand, who recorded their best-ever Junior Men’s World Cup finish in 2009, when they finished fourth, arrived on Monday afternoon, and will be aiming for a first ever podium finish.

Drawn in Pool C alongside Argentina, China and Japan, they begin their campaign on 28th November in Chennai, against China. After that, New Zealand plays Argentina on 30th November and Japan on 1st December.

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Speaking on the team’s arrival, New Zealand coach Mike Delaney said, “The atmosphere to play hockey in India is awesome. We can’t wait to get on pitch.

The last time I was here with the hockey team, we knocked out the Indian team at the Men’s World Cup, so the atmosphere there was amazing.

We are looking forward to playing in India as the rivalry we share with India is awesome. There’s a lot of really fabulous history between both countries, and it’s such an honor to be back in India and competing.”

The Live Streaming of FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 matches will be available on JioHotstar.

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