FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 starts on November 28, with the final scheduled for December 10
Madurai, November 24, 2025: It was a busy Monday at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 in both Madurai and Chennai as a slew of teams traveled to India for the prestigious tournament. Among the teams that arrived in Madurai were Malaysia, Egypt, Namibia, England and South Africa, while the long journey from New Zealand to India ended in Chennai.
The Malaysian team, which finished twelfth in 2023 and was drawn in Group E together with England, Austria and the Netherlands, was the first to arrive on Monday. The Malaysians will open their FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 on November 29 against Austria before taking on the mighty Netherlands on November 30. Their last group match is against England on December 2.
Following them was the Egyptian men’s junior hockey team, which ranked 9th in the 2023 edition of the tournament. The Egyptians have been placed in Pool D with Belgium, Spain and Namibia and are ranked 7th in the world. They will start their campaign in the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 against Spain on November 28. Their second match is against Namibia on November 30, and in their final group stage match they will play the Belgians on December 2.
Namibia’s other African counterparts then landed in Madurai. The debutants are in Pool D with Belgium, Spain and Egypt, and will look to make a mark in their first appearance at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025. Namibia’s campaign starts against Belgium on November 28, followed by a match against Egypt on November 30, with the final group stage match against Spain on December 2.
Namibia coach Johann Wyhe said: “The reception has been phenomenal – really on another level. We really appreciate what Hockey India has done for us. Our team has trained very hard and we are ready to fight for every moment on the field and see where that takes us.”
Next up was England, who will make their first appearance at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup since 2016, when they finished eighth. The England junior men’s hockey team have been placed in Pool E, along with Austria, Malaysia and the Netherlands, and will be keen to make their mark almost a decade on from their last appearance at this stage. England start their tournament against the Netherlands on November 29, play Austria on November 30 and close the group stage against Malaysia on December 2.
England coach Jon Bleby said: “The reception has been fantastic, really great. We are delighted to be here in India for the World Cup. It is one of the best places in the world to play hockey, and the passion of the people is incredible. We have been really overwhelmed by the hospitality. Our preparations have gone well. Like Great Britain, many of these players have recently taken part in the Sultan Johor Cup, which has been valuable for our build-up. We have been training hard and are focused on making a strong start.” in our first game.”
The last team to arrive in Madurai that day was South Africa, who are placed in Pool A with Canada, Germany and Ireland. The South African men’s junior hockey team, who finished 10th in the 2023 edition of the tournament, open their campaign against defending champions Germany on November 28 and then take on Ireland on November 29 before concluding the group stage with a match against Canada on December 1.
South Africa coach Guy Elliot said: “It’s absolutely great to be here. We weren’t expecting such a loud and warm welcome, and the hospitality so far has been excellent. We’ve only just arrived, but the energy has already made us even more excited for the tournament. Our preparations have gone well – we toured China a few months ago and this trip has been two years in the making. Now we hope to show what we are really capable of.”
Meanwhile, they arrived in Chennai, New Zealand, on Monday afternoon, having recorded their best-ever World Junior Men’s World Cup finish in 2009, when they finished fourth, and will be aiming for a first-ever podium finish. They play in Pool C alongside Argentina, China and Japan and start their campaign against China on November 28 in Chennai. New Zealand will then play Argentina on November 30 and Japan on December 1.
Speaking about the team’s arrival, New Zealand coach Mike Delaney said: “The atmosphere of playing hockey in India is great. We can’t wait to get on the field. The last time I was here with the hockey team, we knocked out the Indian team in the Men’s World Cup, so the atmosphere there was great. We are looking forward to playing in India because the rivalry we share with India is great. There is a great history between both countries, and it is such an honor to be back in India and compete.”
The live streaming of FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 matches will be available on JioHotstar.