It is going to be a very tough Junior Hockey World Cup, says India Chief Coach Graham Reid

New Delhi, October 22, 2021

It is going to be a very tough Junior World Hockey Cup, scheduled at Bhubaneswar from 24 November, predicted Indian Chief Coach Graham Reid.

Reid, who is overseeing the team's training, feels that the players are excited to compete with the world's best teams on home ground in Bhubaneswar.

"There is definitely a lot of excitement among the players and there is some anxiousness too as we are yet to pick the final team that will be played in the Junior World Cup. But, having said that, the players are all very upbeat and are looking forward to playing in Bhubaneswar as they have heard a lot about the venue from their senior compatriots," Reid told Hockey India

India Colts are grouped in Pool B along with France, Canada, and Poland. They will open their campaign on November 24 against France. The hosts will play their second pool B match on November 25 against Canada and will play Poland in their third pool match on November 27.

Talking about the pool stage and the teams India is grouped with, Reid coach of the Indian Team which won the bronze medal in the Tokyo Olympics, said, "No team can be taken lightly in an event like the World Cup. I always tell the players to take it one match at a time and not get ahead of overselves at any point in the tournament until we have achieved what we have set out for."

'What is important for us is to get some good practice matches in Bhubaneswar so the players get a feel of the pitch and I am talking to coaches of some European teams to see if we can play friendlies with them when they arrive," he said.

Commenting on Reid's remarks, Coach B J Kariappa, who has been with the Colts team since 2017, said that the team is a talented bunch and is ready to put up a good challenge.

"The good thing about our preparations is that both Junior and Senior Men are housed in the same campus here in SAI, Bengaluru. So, we get to play a lot of internal matches with the Senior Team and the energy within the group is great and each one is pushing the other player to perform on a daily basis. This group has some really talented players with good skills. I believe we are ready for the challenge in Bhubaneswar."

The other 15 teams in the fray at the Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar are Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, The Netherlands, and the United States.

NNN