The Indian men’s junior hockey team departed today for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023, which will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, from December 5 to December 16. The team is based out of Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru.
India lost to France in the third/fourth place match of the previous tournament, which took place in Bhubaneswar, India in 2021, and ultimately finished fourth.
India, the reigning champions, are grouped in Pool C with Korea, Spain, and Canada. Argentina is in Pool A with hosts Malaysia, Australia, Chile, and Argentina. Pool D will feature competitions from the Netherlands, New Zealand, Belgium, and Pakistan, while Pool B is occupied by Germany, France, South Africa, and Egypt.
On December 5, the Indian men’s hockey team will play their first game against Korea. On December 7, they will play Spain, and on December 9, they will play Canada in the final Pool stage match. To guarantee their spot in the Quarterfinals, India must place in the top two of Pool C. Vice Captain Araijeet Singh Hundal will support Captain Uttam Singh in his goal of making a successful return from the 2023 FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup.
Uttam Singh, the captain of the Indian men’s junior hockey team, discussed his expectations for the forthcoming season.
“The team has recovered and our bond as a unit is stronger than ever, despite the painful disappointment of losing to France in the third/fourth place match the last time around. Hockey India cited Uttam as saying, “As always, the team will take it match by match, we will look to give our best on the pitch and hopefully bring medals back to India.”
Vice captain Araijeet Singh Hundal said, “The team has improved a lot since the last World Cup,” echoing the captain’s observations. We recently placed third in the Sultan of Johor Cup 2023, having previously won the Men’s Junior Asia Cup and the Sultan of Johor Cup 2022.
So, all we need to do is give it our all when it counts and we are confident that we can win the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in 2023.”
Unexpected events forced an unanticipated change in the Indian team’s roster as they prepared for the World Cup. Sukhvinder has taken Shardanand Tiwari’s place in the 18-man roster, who was forced to withdraw due to illness. Yogember Rawat is now an official competitor for the event, taking Sukhvinder’s place in the squad.
On Tuesday, the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team will play Korea in the first game of their quest for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023.
