Representational photo. (PTI)
Bengaluru: In order to participate in the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023, the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team left for Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia on Saturday. They boarded a flight from Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) in Bengaluru, reports IANS.
In the last edition of the tournament held in Bhubaneshwar, India finished fourth.
Indian team is placed in Pool C, where Spain, Korea, and Canada will be playing. The defending champions, Argentina, play in Pool A along with Chile, Australia, and hosts Malaysia. Germany, France, South Africa, and Egypt are slotted in Pool B, while the Netherlands, New Zealand, Belgium, and Pakistan will battle it out in Pool D.
The Indian Men’s Hockey Team will have its first match against Korea on December 5. They will play Spain on December 7, and the final pool stage match will be against Canada on December 9.
To enter Quarter-Finals, India needed to finish in the top two. Captain Uttam Singh will be assisted by Vice Captain Araijeet Singh Hundal in his endeavour to return successfully from the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023.
Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team Captain Uttam Singh shared his thoughts about their upcoming campaign, saying, “The last time around, we had to face the bitter disappointment of losing the 3rd/4th place match to France, but the team has bounced back, and the bond amongst the team is stronger than ever. 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 echoed the Captain’s thoughts, saying, “The team has grown significantly since the last World Cup. We won the Sultan of Johor Cup 2022 and the Men’s Junior Asia Cup and recently finished third in the Sultan of Johor Cup 2023 as well. So, we know that we are capable of winning the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023, it’s just a matter of performing to the best of our abilities when the time comes.”