NEW DELHI: The International Hockey Federation on Monday announced India as the hosts for the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup 2021.
The FIH also announced that the venue and dates for the Junior Men’s World Cup 2021 will announced at a later stage.
South Africa bagged the hosting rights for the first-ever Junior Hockey World Cup on African soil after Potchefstroom was announced as the venue for the Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup.
The game’s world governing body also announced that the competition will be played towards the end of 2021. The competition, which features the best young U-21 level talent from across the world, will again be heading to India, which won accolades from around the world for hosting one of the best FIH Senior Men’s Hockey World Cups in 2018 held at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
After having hosted the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh in 2016, where India lifted the coveted trophy, India will again be hosting the biggest Junior-level competition in hockey. The FIH Junior Men’s World Cup will see a total of 16 teams compete for the title, out of which six will be from Europe, four from Asia including hosts India, two from Africa, two from Oceania and two from Pan America.
Out of the 16 teams, the six European teams who have already qualified for the event in India are – Germany, England, Netherlands, Spain, Belgium and France, as they secured their berths through performances in the European Continental Championships which were held in 2019.
Reigning Champions India had defeated Belgium 2-1 in the Final match of the 2016 edition at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium in Lucknow, which saw them lift their second-ever FIH Junior Men’s World Cup.
The next continental qualifiers held throughout 2020 will decide the remaining slots for the tournaments.
Earlier in the year, Bhubaneswar, India was announced as host city of the 2023 Men’s Hockey World Cup thus becoming the first country to host back-to-back senior men’s World Cups.
