India to host Junior Men’s hockey World Cup for record third time in a row

By Harpal Singh Bedi
Feb 17, 2020

New Delhi: India will host the Junior men’s hockey World Cup for the record third time in a row in 2021.

Though Malaysia has held the tournament thrice (1982,1989 and 2009), Singapore was the joint host in 2004. India will be the only country to conduct the tournament for the third straight times, having held it in 2013 (New Delhi,) 2016 (Lucknow) and now in 2021.

It is also Interesting to note that India will earn the distinction of hosting the two senior World cups back to back and that too on the same venue– 2018 and now in 2023 in Bhubaneswar.

While announcing India as the hosts, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Monday said competition will be played towards the end of 2021. Though it did not announce the venue, the Junior World cup is likely to be played in Raipur (Chhattisgarh).

The tournament, which features the best young U-21 level talent from across the world, 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.

India is the defending champion having won the cup defeating 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.
In 2013 in New Delhi, Germany had won the title defeating France 5-2
–India News Stream