India captain Rohit expressed his team’s excitement about playing in the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup, slated to be held in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10, emphasizing the young
colts’ determination to reclaim the crown on home soil. Two-time winners India, last secured the title in 2016 in Lucknow and Rohit will lead the title thrust.
“We are thrilled to be in Chennai for this prestigious tournament. We’ve been preparing for this moment for many months now and are eager to compete against the world’s best teams and give our all on the field,” he said.
“Tamil Nadu has a rich hockey culture, so we are looking forward to playing here. I urge all the fans to come to the stadium and support us,” the drag-flicker added.
India aim to leverage home advantage as they strive to reclaim the coveted title they last won in 2016 in Lucknow. The India Colts are grouped alongside Chile, Switzerland, and Oman in Pool B and are under the aegis of head coach PR Sreejesh.
The Indian colts are confident heading into the tournament, following a strong performance in the recent Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, where they claimed the silver medal.
Rohit’s teammate Amir Ali shared similar sentiments.
“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 to ensure we are fully ready for the challenges ahead,” he said.
India will start their campaign against Chile on November 28, followed by pool matches against Oman and Switzerland on November 29 and December 2, respectively.
