SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT
Lausanne, Switzerland (November 11, 2021):- As part of our continued build-up to the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, we bring you the second of four Pool previews which examines the qualification routes and past form of the teams that will compete at the showpiece event in India.
Canada, France, host nation India and Poland all feature in Pool B, with a top two finish being the only way to secure a place in the competition quarter-finals and thus maintain hopes of Junior World Cup glory.
Canada
How they qualified: Nominated as reserve team (following withdrawal of Australia & New Zealand)
Junior World Cup history: 2016 – 16th, 2013 – 16th, 2001 – 16th, 1985 – 12th, 1982 – 8th
About the team: With USA taking the first reserve spot due their third-place finish at the Junior Pan American Championships in Santiago (CHI), Canada were awarded second reserve spot by virtue of being the best team in the FIH World Rankings (Seniors) not yet qualified for the competition. Canada were unfortunate to miss out on a medal in Chile, losing the bronze medal match against the USA only by a shoot-out. Jagpreet Singh was a star performer in that competition, scoring four times for his country. Canada have competed in five Junior World Cup competitions, with their best performance being an eighth-place finish in 1982.
France
How they qualified: 6th Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Men 2019
Junior World Cup history: 2013 – 2nd, 2011 – 10th, 1985 – 8th, 1979 – 7th
About the team: It has been eight years since France stunned the hockey world by claiming the silver medal at the 2013 Men’s Junior World Cup in New Delhi, with their fairy-tale run being ended by Christopher Rühr’s Germany in the final. It was a staggering performance, and after missing the 2016 Junior World Cup in Lucknow (IND), France are back again and dreaming big. A sixth-place finish at the EuroHockey Junior Championships 2019 in Valencia proved just enough for a ticket to their fifth Junior World Cup competition. With the Olympic Games Paris 2024 less than three years away, the French players will all be hoping to force their way into the thoughts of senior men’s head coach Fred Soyez, the man charged with guiding the team into a once-in-a-lifetime home Olympics.
India
How they qualified: Host nation
Junior World Cup history: 2016 – 1st, 2013 – 10th, 2009 – 9th, 2005 – 4th, 2001 – 1st, 1997 – 2nd, 1985 – 5th, 1982 – 5th, 1979 – 5th
About the team: Following their wonderful title success at the 2016 Men’s Junior World Cup in Lucknow, reigning champions and competition hosts India have set their sights on retaining their crown at Bhubaneswar’s magnificent Kalinga Stadium. India’s victory in Lucknow – their second Junior World Cup title, adding to the one claimed at the 2001 competition in Hobart, Australia – was a remarkable upturn in form, with the team having only managed a lowest-ever 10th place finish at the 2013 competition in New Delhi. With the senior men’s team having taken bronze at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, doing so with a side containing numerous Junior World Cup champions from 2016, success in Bhubaneswar would only serve to reinforce India’s re-emergence as a global hockey powerhouse.
Poland
How they qualified: Nominated as reserve team
Junior World Cup history: 2009 – 10th, 2005 – 14th
About the team: With England withdrawing from the competition due to COVID-19 related complications, their place in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 has been handed to fellow Europeans Poland. It is a fantastic opportunity for the Poles, who will be determined to make a big impression on Indian soil. Poland have featured in two previous editions of the Men’s Junior World Cup, finishing 14th at Rotterdam 2005 and 10th at the 2009 event in Singapore & Malaysia. Known for their structure and wonderful close skills, Poland are more than capable of causing upsets.
The opening match of the FIH Odisha Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 will see Belgium facing South Africa on 24 November at the Kalinga Stadium, the outstanding venue which hosted the last FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup in 2018. The competition final will be played on 5 December.
