Chennai, Nov 15 (IANS) The Indian junior men’s hockey team touched down in Chennai on Saturday ahead of the much-anticipated FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025, scheduled to be held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10.

India, two-time Junior World Cup Champion, will look to capitalise on home advantage as they aim to reclaim the coveted title they last won in 2016 in Lucknow. India had earlier won their first title in the 2001 edition in Hobart, Australia. They had finished runner-up in Milton Keynes in 1997.

The Indian team is grouped in Pool B along with Chile, Switzerland, and Oman, and will be coached by legendary former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh, with Rohit as the team’s captain. The India Colts are confident heading into the tournament after a strong performance in the recent Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, where they claimed the silver medal.

In preparation for the tournament, the junior side competed against top international opponents earlier this year at the Four Nations Tournament in Berlin, followed by an European tour across Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. The squad has since undergone intensive training during their camps in Bengaluru and is now ready to put all their preparation to the test on the big stage.

Upon arriving, captain Rohit stated, “We are very happy to arrive in Chennai for this prestigious tournament. We have been preparing for this moment for many months now and are excited and optimistic to compete against the world’s best teams and give it our all on the field. Tamil Nadu has a great hockey culture, so we are looking forward to playing here. I urge all the fans to come to the stadium and support us.”

Teammate Amir Ali echoed the sentiment and said, “It is an honour to play the World Cup on home soil. Almost a decade ago, India won the World Cup as the host nation, and we will try our best to repeat history in Chennai. The team is very confident with the way we have prepared for this tournament, and we will continue our training here and ensure we are fully ready for the challenges ahead.”

India will play their first match against Chile on November 28, followed by Pool matches against Oman and Switzerland on November 29 and December 2, respectively.

–IANS

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