India drawn with Pakistan for Junior Hockey WC
The draw ceremony was held at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) headquarters in Lausanne on Saturday
HI Director General RK Srivastava, FIH President Dato Tayyab Ikram, HI Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh and FIH Director General Mike Joyce with the trophy during the draw
LAUSANNE: Hosts India have been drawn in Pool B alongside arch-rivals Pakistan, Chile and Switzerland for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025, which will be co-hosted by Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10.
The draw ceremony was held at the International Hockey Federation (FIH) headquarters in Lausanne on Saturday. This edition will mark a historic first, as the tournament expands to feature 24 teams — the highest number in its history — as part of the FIH’s new development strategy.
FIH President Tayyab Ikram, speaking ahead of the draw, called the moment “a milestone” in international hockey. “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,” said Ikram. “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.”
Ikram also spoke about the wider impact of the tournament beyond just competition. “This World Cup also brings with it the opportunity to enhance our hockey infrastructure, and in the city of Madurai, introduce a new state-of-the-art hockey stadium,” he added.
Hockey India (HI) secretary general Bhola Nath Singh, who attended the ceremony along with Hockey India Director General RK Srivastava, said the draw was a “landmark moment” for the sport. “Today marks a landmark moment for the world of hockey as we witness the pool draw for the inaugural 24-team FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup, featuring 24 nations,” he said.
Germany, the reigning champion who won their record-extending seventh title by defeating France 2–1 in the 2023 final, headline Pool A, which also includes South Africa, Canada and Ireland.
Pool C consists of Argentina, New Zealand, Japan and China, while Spain, Belgium, Egypt and Namibia are placed in Pool D. The Netherlands, Malaysia, England and Austria make up Pool E. Pool F features France, Australia, Korea and Bangladesh.
The tournament is expected to serve not only as a global showcase for junior hockey talent but also as a legacy event for infrastructure development in Tamil Nadu.
