Chennai: The Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup is scheduled to take place in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10. The opening match on November 28 will be held in Madurai, featuring defending champions Germany against South Africa. India will kick off its campaign on the same day against Chile, followed by a crucial match against Pakistan the next day. India’s final league match will be against Switzerland on December 2 in Madurai.
The tournament schedule was released yesterday at a press conference in Chennai by Tamil Nadu’s Deputy Chief Minister, Udhayanidhi Stalin. FIH President Tayyab Ikram, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey, and General Secretary Bhola Nath Singh were also in attendance. This marks the first time that 24 teams from around the world will participate in the Junior World Cup, with matches being played in Chennai and Madurai.
The 24 teams have been divided into six pools of four teams each. India has been placed in Pool B alongside Pakistan, Chile, and Switzerland. Tayyab Ikram stated that the launch of the match schedule for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 is another exciting milestone on the journey to this prestigious event. He also highlighted that this is the first time in FIH history that a Junior World Cup will feature 24 teams, a significant achievement under the FIH’s empowerment and participation strategy.
Udhayanidhi Stalin expressed the government’s commitment to working with Hockey India and the FIH to ensure the tournament becomes one of the most memorable events in history. Regarding Pakistan’s participation, Dilip Tirkey confirmed that the FIH and the Indian government have welcomed the Pakistani team, whose name is included in the schedule, although confirmation from the Pakistan Hockey Federation is still pending. The final will be held in Chennai on December 10.
Here are the pools for the tournament:
- Pool A: Germany, South Africa, Canada, Ireland
- Pool B: India, Pakistan, Chile, Switzerland
- Pool C: Argentina, New Zealand, Japan, China
- Pool D: Spain, Belgium, Egypt, Namibia
- Pool E: Netherlands, Malaysia, England, Austria
- Pool F: France, Australia, Korea, Bangladesh
