Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2021 to be hosted by India in Bhubaneswar

In what comes as another good news for Indian sports fans, India will be hosting the 2021 Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup. The matches would be played at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar between November 25 to December 5.

As for the tournament, it would be its 12th edition and would feature 16 teams: India, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, South Africa, Egypt, Belgium, England, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, USA, Canada, Chile and Argentina. The host is the defending champion, having won its second title in 2016 when the edition was held in Lucknow.

Odisha is also slated to host the Men’s Hockey World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik accepted International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) proposal for the junior tournament and announced it on Thursday.

“Odisha is the hub for hockey in the country, and the Odisha State Government will continue to do everything in our capacity to help the sport grow further and achieve further laurels on the world level. We look forward to welcoming 16 top teams from across the world to participate in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021. We are delighted to be hosts of this prestigious tournament. Our priority will be to ensure a safe environment to compete during these challenging covid times,” Patnaik declared in a statement.

Speaking on the occasions, FIH President Dr Narinder Batra pronounced, “The FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 is the pinnacle of tournaments for U-21 and is a very important fixture in the FIH calendar. We are delighted that Odisha, with their world-class infrastructure, are set to host an event of this magnitude. As always, we have been extended full support by the Odisha State Government, and the event will be held following all required Covid-19 protocols.”

With just three months away from the preparations, Rajinder Singh (Hockey India’s Secretary-General) affirmed, “It is a great honour for Hockey India to host back-to-back FIH Hockey Junior Men’s World Cup. In 2016, it was a memorable outing for us in Lucknow, where India won the tournament beating Belgium in the Final. Hockey India, over the years, has organised several events of international importance in India, and with the support of Odisha State Government, we are confident of organising yet another memorable event for the participating teams, officials and the fans.”

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