FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2025: India aim to end nine-year wait for the title

The FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 gets underway on 28 November, and hosts India enter the tournament with momentum, belief and the advantage of playing in front of home crowds in Chennai and Madurai.

After finishing fourth in Kuala Lumpur in 2023 and last winning the crown in 2016, the Indian Colts will be eager to script another memorable campaign on home soil.

India, led by captain Rohit, will open their Pool B campaign against Chile, a side they haven’t faced in recent years at a major FIH event.

While the visitors are ranked 18th in the world and considered underdogs, India are wary of early nerves and will look to settle quickly in front of a packed Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium.

India’s remaining group matches will be against Oman (29 November, Chennai) and Switzerland (2 December, Madurai).

A tournament that shapes future stars

The Junior World Cup has historically been the launching pad for several players who eventually became household names. India’s triumph in 2016 produced stalwarts like Harmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Nilakanta Sharma, Mandeep Singh, and Gurjant Singh, all of whom graduated into the senior setup.

This year’s squad will be guided by legendary goalkeeper and two-time Olympic medallist PR Sreejesh, who takes charge of the junior side. Aware of the stakes, Sreejesh emphasised that this tournament could define careers:

“This is where their future begins. The players have worked for months and are eager to perform,” he said.

Home advantage and key areas to improve

India enter the World Cup fresh from a silver medal at the Sultan of Johor Cup, but penalty-corner conversion remains a concern. The team managed just eight goals from 53 PCs in Malaysia.

Sreejesh, however, is confident that the issue has been addressed in training, with drag-flickers putting in heavy repetition work.

India will miss Araijeet Singh Hundal, their most experienced junior drag-flicker, who is out with a shoulder injury. Captain Rohit will shoulder additional responsibility at set pieces, supported by a strong defensive and midfield core.

Opponents and tournament format

This edition marks the first time the Junior World Cup features 24 teams, divided into six groups of four. Group winners and the two best second-placed teams will progress to the quarterfinals.

Pools overview

Pool A: Germany, Canada, South Africa, Ireland

Pool B: India, Oman, Switzerland, Chile

Pool C: Argentina, New Zealand, Japan, China

Pool D: Spain, Belgium, Egypt, Namibia

Pool E: Netherlands, Malaysia, England, Austria

Pool F: France, Australia, Korea, Bangladesh

Defending champions Germany headline Pool A, while Argentina and the Netherlands are expected to challenge strongly.

What to expect from India

Ranked World No. 2 at the junior level, India are among the frontrunners for the title. The squad features a balanced mix of talent across positions:

Goalkeepers: Bikramjit Singh, Princedeep Singh

Defenders: Rohit, Amir Ali, Anmol Ekka, Talem Priyo Barta, Sunil Palakshappa Bennur, Shardanand Tiwari

Midfielders: Ankit Pal, Adrohit Ekka, Thounaojam Ingalemba Luwang, Manmeet Singh, Rosan Kujur

Forwards: Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Arshdeep Singh, Ajeet Yadav, Dilraj Singh, Gurjot

The squad has been trained to handle fast counter-attacks, a vulnerability exposed during recent matches, and the coaching staff expects a sharper outing this time.

Live streaming

All matches of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 will stream live on JioHotstar.