Madurai, Nov 25 (IANS) As excitement builds ahead of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025, more participating teams have begun arriving in India, with Japan and Chile arriving in Chennai and Spain and Austria touching down in Madurai to kick start their final preparations.

With the prestigious tournament set to run from November 28 to December 10, each team brings its own ambitions, history, and expectations as the global hockey fraternity converges in India for the biggest Junior World Cup edition in history.

Japan, who are playing their fourth-ever FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup, arrived late on Monday night. Placed in Pool C with Argentina, China and New Zealand, the Japanese will be keen to make their mark on this trip to India. They open their campaign against Argentina on November 28, before taking on China on November 30, and finally complete their group stage with a match against New Zealand on December 1.

Speaking on arrival, Japan’s head coach Yoshihiro Anai said, “We have prepared well for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025. We prepared by playing against the senior Japan Men’s Hockey Team and we believe we are in good shape. And we hope to achieve a good finish in the tournament. Our first game against Argentina will probably be our toughest in the group stage.”

Hot on the heels of the Japanese side were the Chile Men’s Junior Hockey Team, who have been drawn in Pool B alongside India, Oman and Switzerland. In the 2023 edition of the tournament, Chile finished 15th and will be looking to improve on their returns from their trip to India. The Chile side will begin their campaign at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 against hosts India on November 28, followed by Switzerland on November 29 and Oman on December 2.

Meanwhile, Spain, who have twice claimed Bronze medals in 2005 and 2023, will aim to elevate their performance and change the colour of their medal this year. Drawn in Pool D with Belgium, Egypt and Namibia, Spain will open their campaign on November 28 against Egypt in Madurai.

Speaking upon arrival, Spain coach Oriol Puig Torras said, “It’s my first time in Madurai, and the welcome has been truly wonderful. We are very excited and proud to be part of such a prestigious tournament. Our preparations have gone well, and I believe we have a strong team capable of performing at a high level. Spain has won the Bronze medal twice, and of course, we dream of going a step further this time. We hope to play our best hockey and make our country proud.”

Also, Austria, whose last and only appearance in the tournament came in 2016, when they finished 12th, will look to deliver a strong showing in their second Junior World Cup appearance. They are placed in Pool E alongside England, Malaysia and the Netherlands, and will begin their campaign on November 29 against Malaysia in Madurai.

Talking about the team’s preparations, Austria coach Robin Rosch said, “The welcome has been fantastic — truly an amazing experience for all of us. This is only the second time Austria is participating in the Junior World Cup, so our focus is on progressing further and making the most of this opportunity. Our preparations have been steady, and we play Germany in our training game as part of our final build-up. We’re looking forward to competing and giving our best.”

–IANS

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