28 Nov, 2025 FIH President Tayyab Ikram arrived in Chennai to a vibrant and enthusiastic atmosphere as India proudly welcomes the world’s brightest Rising Stars. He expressed his deepest gratitude to the Government of Tamil Nadu and to Hockey India for their outstanding hospitality and exceptional arrangements, which have set the perfect stage for this global celebration of hockey. Speaking on the occasion, President Ikram said:  “Forty-eight teams from around the world have arrived across our host cities — Chennai, Madura and Santiago for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup. Together, they have already made history. This milestone is a reflection of the engagement initiative I introduced two years ago, designed to strengthen our global hockey community and empower the next generation. Today, I am proud to officially welcome the rising stars of the world.”   He encouraged the athletes to embrace more than just the competition: “Rising stars, while delivering your best performances, make sure you also celebrate this journey. The experiences you gain, the friendships you build, and the memories created here are just as meaningful as every result on the field.” President Ikram also expressed his gratitude to all National Associations: “My sincere thanks to all the National Associations for your tireless efforts in enabling your rising stars to be here. Your dedication is what makes global moments like this possible.” With excitement building in Chennai, Madurai, and Santiago, this global gathering marks another significant step in FIH’s mission to inspire, unite, and elevate the future of hockey.   As the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup begins today, I would like to express my sincerest gratitude to the State of Tamil Nadu, the cities of Chennai and Madurai, and Hockey India for organizing such a magnificent event. I also extend my appreciation to our commercial and broadcast partners, officials, and all the wonderful volunteers, without whom staging this World Cup would simply not be possible. Thanks also to all hockey fans—your support is truly rewarding. I wish you a great time! #RisingStars Source: FIH.hockey

27 Nov, 2025 With less than 24 hours remaining until the start of the 14th edition of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup, which will take place in the cities of Chennai and Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India, here are the latest quotes from the participating teams: Lucas Balthazar, Captain, Belgium “The last two World Cups didn’t go our way and that only fuels our hunger even more. We have a talented group and excellent coaches; everything is here for success. Now it’s about making the chemistry work, finding our rhythm, and turning potential into performance. Beyond results, we want to set the tone with our attitude, to lead by example, on and off the pitch.” Oriol Torras, Head Coach, Spain “Our objective for the World Cup is to continue building on the progress we have made in recent years. The European Championship title demonstrated the team’s quality and cohesion, while the bronze medal at the previous World Cup confirmed our consistency at the highest level. We approach this tournament with respect for our opponents and confidence in our preparation, fully committed to competing for the top positions.” Mateusz Nyckowiak, Captain, Austria “We are looking forward to the Junior World Cup with great excitement. As a young and ambitious team, we want to play with courage, give our very best on the pitch and show that we’re ready to compete with the best nations in the world. For us, it‘s all about growing together as a team and gaining valuable experience at the highest level.” Casper van der Veen, Captain, Netherlands “We are proud to play in orange and strive for maximum results during the Junior World Cup. We want to show unity and go through fire for each other.” PR Sreejesh, Head Coach, India “The Junior World Cup is the ultimate test of our preparation, mindset, and teamwork. Our focus is on playing fearless, fast, and disciplined hockey — the kind that reflects the legacy of Indian hockey. These boys have worked hard to earn this opportunity, and we’re confident they’ll make the country proud on the world stage.” Dan Neuhoff, Captain, South Africa “Our expectation is to compete, not just make up the numbers. We aim to represent our country with pride and go toe to toe with the best players and teams in the u21 age group.” Yannick Hug & Jens Flück, Co-Captains, Switzerland “We’re coming to India with passion, team spirit, and big ambitions. The Junior World Cup is our chance to prove Switzerland’s strength on the world stage and to exceed expectations.” Gaspard Denis, Captain, France “Our ambition for the Junior World Cup is to achieve the best possible result. We want to give everything we have, play our hockey the way we know best, and rely on our strong team spirit to go as far as we can.” Gus Nelson, Captain, New Zealand “I’m very excited to be heading to India with an epic group of boys and staff. I know that the group has worked hard to give ourselves the chance to do something special and bring home a medal.” Bahsin Ahmed, Captain, Egypt “We are so proud to represent our country on the international stage. We will give our best in every game that we play and we hope to see a lot of our fans in India!” MM Mehrab Hasan Samin, Captain, Bangladesh “This is our first appearance in a Junior World Cup. We want to play a competitive game. The team will be reaching Chennai earlier to acclimatize with the weather.” Seunghan Son, Captain, Korea “Forget what you knew about the Korean team. We have a singular goal—the champion’s title—and we are here to claim it. Underestimate us at your own risk; you’ll be watching us in the end.” Muhammad Danish Aiman Khairul Anuar, Captain, Malaysia “Together, we fight with heart, play with pride, and leave everything on the field” Ben Hasbach, Captain, Germany “We’re really excited for the World Cup in India. Being the defending champions gives us extra motivation, but we don’t feel any pressure from it. We just want to play our game, show what we’re capable of, and push our limits together as a team.” Yamato Kawahara, Captain, Japan “We fight with pride as Japanese, showing our true spirit and character. As long as we’re here, we aim for nothing less than the title — to give courage and inspiration to everyone who watches.” Felipe Richard, Captain, Chile “I think that, being a young team, one of our main challenges is adapting to this international rhythm, which is not the same as what we experience at the Pan American tournaments. But every time we step onto the field, we always end up playing good matches, so we are confident.” Grant Simpson, Captain, Canada “We are very excited and proud to represent the maple leaf at the Junior World Cup. We expect to compete in every game and challenge ourselves to perform against the best in the world. We’re excited to showcase our passion and ability on the world stage.” Liu Chao, Captain, China “We extend our warmest congratulations on the gathering of the world’s elite young talents at the Junior World Cup—may it be a grand celebration of the sport. May our Chinese athletes compete with honor, strive for excellence, and embody the true spirit and sportsmanship of China on the world stage.” Mohammad Hobais Bait Jandal, Head Coach, Oman “It’s a proud and historic moment for Oman to make its debut at the FIH Junior World Cup. Our young players are eager to compete, learn, and represent our country with pride and passion. This tournament will be a great platform for their growth and for the future of Omani hockey.” Tomas Ruiz, Captain, Argentina Expectations are very high, we are confident and eager to become champions. We have been preparing very well, both physically and technically. We played many friendly matches with teams from the local league and with the senior national team, which

Continue Reading →

17 Nov, 2025 Following the successful experience at the previous FIH Hockey Junior World Cups in 2023, the International Hockey Federation (FIH) is proud to announce that this initiative will be reiterated this year. FIH has appointed two experts in this field—Marialoreto Gonzalez (Chile) and Nirmal Kumar (India)—as Safeguarding Officers for the Women’s and Men’s FIH Hockey Junior World Cups, respectively. The primary mission of the Safeguarding Officers is to create an environment of safety, well-being, and protection for all rising hockey stars who will showcase their talents at the highest global event for this age category. This will be achieved by providing athletes with access to preventive and educational resources. Of course, in addition to that, the Safeguarding Officers will be available to address any safeguarding issues that may arise during the tournaments, ensuring complete confidentiality. FIH President Tayyab Ikram, commenting on this renewed initiative, said: “Safeguarding has become one of the most important aspects of sports governance. Athletes are at the centre of everything we do. As an International Federation, it is our duty to implement all possible measures and frameworks to ensure our athletes develop in an environment where they feel safe enough to perform at their best. This commitment is especially crucial for young athletes. Through our initiative to appoint Safeguarding Officers for the upcoming FIH Hockey Junior World Cups, we are embracing our responsibility with full determination.” Marialoreto Gonzalez is a lawyer holding a Master’s degree in Law and Gender, specialising in sexual crimes, violence, and abuse. She is a member of the Panam Sports Safe Sports Commission and serves as the lawyer in charge of the Office for Respect Unit at the Chilean Olympic Committee and has extensive experience in abuse legislation. She has also worked as a Welfare Officer at various major sporting events and has contributed to establishing safe sport offices across multiple Pan American Olympic Committees, including the development of protocols and relevant legislation. As Head of Player Care department at FC Madras, Nirmal Kumar brings over six years of experience in managing and safeguarding young athletes. He has led the implementation of child protection policies, conducted awareness and training sessions, and overseen incident reporting protocols. His leadership has fostered a safe, respectful, and supportive environment within the academy. Commenting on their appointment, both Safeguarding Officers said: “We would like to express our sincere enthusiasm and deep appreciation for the opportunity to collaborate with FIH. We understand the critical importance of the Safeguarding Officers in ensuring a safe, positive, and supportive environment for all participants. We look forward to working closely with FIH and contributing to the success of these major events.” Source: FIH.hockey