FIH Media Release – Squad lists confirmed for FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021

    22 November 2021 Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to confirm the squad lists for the upcoming FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021, the showpiece event where hockey’s rising stars will take to the field in the global showpiece in Potchefstroom.   The competition, which takes place from 5-16 December, is the first FIH World Cup event ever to take place on African soil.  Although the Junior World Cup has a deserved reputation as being a competition in which the stars of the future showcase themselves for the first time, there are numerous players who have already made a considerable impression on the sport. Argentina are blessed by the presence of the Valentina Raposo, the brilliant 17-year-old defender who won silver with Las Leonas at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Issy Petter and Fiona Crackles are also Olympic medallists from Tokyo 2020, being part of the bronze medal-winning Great Britain team and now being named in the England squad for Potchefstroom.  India’s women also have Olympians amongst their ranks, with Lalremsiami, Sharmila Devi and Salima Tete all included in the Junior World Cup squad after their remarkable fourth place finish in Tokyo. Jette Fleschütz (Germany) and Laura Barrios (Spain) are also Olympians from Tokyo, while Ambre Ballenghien and Charlotte Englebert are two of numerous players named in the Belgium squad to have played in the FIH Hockey Pro League.  You can find all the squads for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021 by clicking here. To download a PDF version of the squad lists, click here.  In territories where broadcast rights agreements are not in place, fans can watch every match at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021 live and free of charge via the Watch.Hockey app. For Broadcast information can be found by clicking here.  Looking ahead to the event, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra said: “The Junior World Cup is a proven launch-pad for hockey’s brightest young talents, and we are certain that the 2021 competition in Potchefstroom will unveil many exceptional individuals who will dazzle us for years to come.   “For many of the athletes, this will be the first time they have represented their nation on such a big stage. The honour of representing their respective countries is something that will live with each player for the rest of their lives, regardless of what they go on to achieve in life and sport.  “I would like to thank the South African Hockey Association and North-West University and all their partners for their relentless energy in planning for this event. Our thanks must also go to the sponsors and all the volunteers who are crucial to making this event a success.   “Finally, a personal message to all our athletes and officials. You are the bright future of the sport and without you, we have nothing. I hope you enjoy every moment of this competition and your stay in Potchefstroom. I wish you every success in this competition.” The opening match of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup South Africa 2021 sees Ireland taking on Zimbabwe in a Pool A encounter on 5 December. The competition final will be played on Thursday 16 December. To see the complete match schedule, click here.  The official website for the event can be found here: https://www.juniorworldcup.hockey/women/.  For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website. #RisingStars

    Squad lists confirmed for FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021

      15 November 2021 Lausanne, Switzerland: The International Hockey Federation (FIH) is delighted to confirm the squad lists for the upcoming FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, the showpiece event where hockey’s rising stars will take to the field in the global showpiece at the magnificent Kalinga Stadium. The competition takes place from 24 November to 5th December, with India – the defending champions – hosting the event for the third time. Although the Junior World Cup has a deserved reputation as being a competition in which the stars of the future showcase themselves for the first time, there are numerous players who have already made a considerable impression on the sport. Thibeau Stockbroekx (Belgium), Benedickt Schwarzhaupt (Germany), Pepe Cunill (Spain) and Justen Blok (the Netherlands) have all featured in the FIH Hockey Pro League, while Timothée Clement has already made 25 senior international appearances for France. The most decorated player in the competition is India captain and two-time FIH Rising Star of the Year Vivek Prasad, who has played 70 times for his country and was part of the team that won bronze at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. You can find all the squads for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 by clicking here.  We are pleased to confirm that the first six days of the competition (24-30 November) will be broadcast to our global audience live and free of charge via the Watch.Hockey app. From 1–5 December, the Watch.Hockey app will be live streaming matches free of charge to all territories outside of India, Maldives, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, locations which are subject to existing broadcast rights agreements. Looking ahead to the event, FIH President Dr Narinder Dhruv Batra said: “The Junior World Cup is a hugely important event for the sport of hockey, where the stars of tomorrow come out to shine. Many of the world’s greatest players have competed in this competition, showcasing their skills before going on to even greater successes with their respective senior teams. “I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to the state of Odisha for their ongoing commitment to the sport of hockey, with a special word of thanks to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik – your passion for bringing major sporting events to Odisha is something that is admired and appreciated in equal measure. “I would also like to thank Hockey India and all their partners for their relentless energy in planning for this event. Our thanks must also go to the sponsors and all the volunteers who are crucial to making this event a success. “Finally, a personal message to all our athletes and officials. You are the bright future of the sport and without you, we have nothing. I hope you enjoy every moment of this competition and your stay in the wonderful, culture-rich city of Bhubaneswar. I wish you every success in this competition.” 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. To see the complete match schedule, click here. The official website for the event can be found here: https://www.juniorworldcup.hockey/men/ .  For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website. #RisingStars

      Team Egypt arrive in Bhubaneswar for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021

        Team Egypt arrived in the Temple City of Bhubaneswar as the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 is set to begin from 24 November ~ Bhubaneswar, 22 November 2021: Team Egypt arrived on Monday afternoon for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021. Grouped in Pool D, along with teams such as Argentina, Germany, and Pakistan, Egypt have a tough battle in store for them in the group stage. “We are looking to become a better, stronger team at the World Cup. The players will be moving to the senior team after this tournament, so our aim is to improve ourselves,” asserted Abu-Talib Maggid, Head Coach of Egypt. Speaking on the team’s excitement to be in Bhubaneswar at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, Maggid said, “All the players are excited to play at a venue where they watched the amazing World Cup 2018 being played.” Egypt will begin their campaign in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 on 25 November 2021 against Argentina. When asked about the top contenders for the marquee event, Coach Maggid said, “We are at the World Cup. All teams are tough. We are respecting every team. And we will try our best to prove we deserve to be respected as much. Catch live action of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 on: https://watch.hockey/ Watch.hockey-India: The first 6 Match Days (24th – 30th November 2021) Star India: The last 5 match Days (1st – 5th December 2021) Source: hockeyindia.org

        Teams South Africa and Korea arrive in Bhubaneswar to battle for the trophy

          ~ Teams South Africa and Korea arrive in Bhubaneswar as the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 is set to begin from 24 November ~ Bhubaneswar, 20 November 2021: Team South Africa arrived on Saturday morning for the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021. Grouped in Pool A, along with Belgium, Chile, and Malaysia, South Africa are in for a challenging start in the group stage. “It’s been a period of difficult two years due to the pandemic with lots of training and preparations getting disrupted. But we have prepared the best we can back at home. So, no excuses, every team has faced similar challenges, and we are ready to go,” asserted Sihle Ntuli, South Africa Head Coach. Excited to compete in Bhubaneswar at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, Ntuli said, “I believe it is the best stadium in the world and I am very happy for my players getting the opportunity to play at the stadium. We are very excited.” Team Korea also arrived on Saturday afternoon, and the team Captain Soung Min Bae talked about their preparations for FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021. “We prepared for the World Cup in Donghae, in Korea. We held a national camp where we had to play at least 10 matches, which has made our team stronger. Our players do not have much experience of playing in such a big stadium, just like most players from all teams, but we are confident we will get better as the tournament progresses,” he said. South Africa will face off against Belgium in the first game of the tournament on 24 November, while Korea, who are placed in Group C along with the Netherlands, Spain, and the USA will take on the Dutch team in their first game of the competition on 25 November. Apart from South Africa and Korea, the Pakistan team is also scheduled to arrive in the temple city of Bhubaneswar later on Saturday. Catch live action of FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 on: https://watch.hockey/ Watch.hockey-India: The first 6 Match Days (24th – 30th November 2021) Star India: The last 5 match Days (1st – 5th December 2021) Source: hockeyindia.org

          Media Advisory – FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021: Pool A preview

            1 November 2021 Pool A: Will Belgium’s junior Red Lions emulate their all-conquering senior side? Lausanne, Switzerland: As part of our build-up to the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, we bring you the first of four Pool previews which examines the qualification routes and past form of the teams that will compete at the showpiece event in India. Belgium, Chile, Malaysia and South Africa all feature in Pool A, 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. Belgium How they qualified: 5th Place – EuroHockey Junior Championship Men 2019 Junior World Cup history: 2016 – 2nd, 2013 – 6th, 2009 – 11th, 2005 – 11th, 1997 – 12th, 1985 – 11th About the team: Following their silver medal at the 2016 Men’s Junior World Cup competition in Lucknow, India – Belgium’s greatest performance in the competition – the Junior Red Lions will be determined to go one place better this time around. A far from perfect fifth place finish at the 2019 EuroHockey Junior Championship in Valencia, Spain was enough for Belgium to book their ticket to Bhubaneswar, the Indian city where their senior team created history by winning the Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup in 2018. With the senior men’s team now also the Olympic champions, this next generation of Belgian hockey could well feel suitably inspired to make their mark. Chile How they qualified: 1st Place: 2021 Men’s Junior Pan American Championship Junior World Cup history: 2009 – 17th, 2005 – 15th, 2001 – 15th, 1985 – 14th, 1979 – 12th About the team: Chile created a little bit of history at the 2021 Men’s Junior Pan American Championship, which was played in August on home in Santiago. The team became junior continental champions for the very first time, defeating defending champions Argentina – who had won all 11 previous editions of the competition – in the final thanks to a drama-filled shoot-out after the title match finished with the scores locked at 1-1. It was a landmark moment for the young team, inspired by the goal-scoring exploits of Andrés Pizarro, who netted seven times to finish at the tournament’s top scorer as Chile qualified for the Junior World Cup for the first time since 2009. As the Junior Pan American champions, Chile have every reason to feel confident about their chances of success in Bhubaneswar. Malaysia How they qualified: Nominated by Asian Hockey Federation Junior World Cup history: 2016 – 11th, 2013 – 4th, 2009 – 12th, 2005 – 10th, 2001 – 12th, 1993 – 11th, 1989 – 6th, 1985 – 10th, 1982 – 4th, 1979 – 4th About the team: Malaysia – who will host the 2023 edition of this event – have competed in all but one of the 11 FIH Men’s Junior World Cup tournaments staged to date, with their performances being a very mixed bag. On three occasions they just missed out on the podium, finishing fourth in 1979, 1982 and 2013, but have also endured some difficult campaigns where they have finished towards the bottom of the standings. With flair players aplenty, they can hurt any team in the world and are not to be under-estimated. Malaysia’s place in the competition was confirmed by being nominated by the Asian Hockey Federation following the unfortunate COVID-19 related cancellation of the 2021 Junior Asia Cup, which acted as the qualification competition for the Junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar. South Africa How they qualified: Nominated by African Hockey Federation Junior World Cup history: 2016 – 10th, 2013 – 12th, 2009 – 15th, 2005 – 13th, 2001 – 11th About the team: Like Egypt, South Africa’s Men’s Junior World Cup ticket came courtesy of a nomination by the African Hockey Federation (AfHF). Following the cancellation of the Junior Africa Cup 2021 in Namibia due to the ongoing COVID-19 global health pandemic, AfHF based their selection on the results of the 2016 Junior Africa Cup, where South Africa finished in second place. They made their Junior World Cup debut at the Hobart 2001 (AUS) event and have competed in every subsequent competition, with their 10th place finish at Lucknow 2016 being their best to date. South Africa’s senior team turned heads at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 with some scintillating attacking performances. Can the juniors do the same? 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. To see the complete match schedule, click here. For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website.  #RisingStars