The Indian team will kick off their FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup 2023 campaign against Canada on November 29.
The organizing committee on Friday announced the pools and schedule for the tournament set to take in Santiago, Chile later this year.
Top women's teams from around the world, including India, who are ranked sixth in the new Junior Women's World Rankings, will compete in the tournament.
India has been placed in Pool C alongside Belgium, Canada, and Germany. Following their opener against Canada they will lock horns with Germany on December 1. Their final pool game will be against Belgium on December 2.
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After winning the Women's Junior Asia Cup 2023 in Japan, the Indian Junior Women's Hockey Team enters the FIH Junior Women's World Cup 2023 with high confidence and aims to clinch the elusive trophy for the first time in the tournament's history.
In the previous edition of the FIH Junior Women’s Hockey World Cup, India narrowly missed out on the bronze medal as they lost to England in the third-place match. However, the team remains optimistic about their chances this time around.
"We are thrilled to see the Pools for the World Cup unveiled. It's an exciting moment for our team as we gear up to compete against some of the best junior teams from around the world.
"We are aware that each Pool is filled with talented and formidable opponents, but we see this as an opportunity to showcase our skills, determination, and teamwork on the global stage. We are confident in our abilities and will give our all in every match," captain Preeti stated.
Meanwhile, the Chief Coach of the Indian Women’s Team, Janneke Schopman, said, “The team is blooming with confidence after winning the Asia Cup. But the World Cup will be much more challenging as we’ll face strong teams from around the world. Every match in the tournament will test our skills, teamwork, and resilience."
“However, we believe in the potential of our team and its ability to rise to the occasion. Our goal is to create a cohesive unit that performs with a never-give-up attitude, and stays true to our game plan while adapting to the challenges posed by each opponent. We will leave no stone unturned in our preparations to ensure we are well-prepared for the tournament," she added.
What is the format of the FIH Junior Women's World Cup 2023?
The FIH Junior Women's World Cup 2023 includes a round-robin stage where each team plays the other three teams in their pool once.
The top two teams from each pool will progress to the quarter-finals, while the remaining teams will compete for classification positions. The defending champions, the Netherlands, who have won the title four times, are the most successful team in the tournament's history.
Pools of the FIH Junior Women's World Cup 2023
Pool A:
Australia
Chile
Netherlands
South Africa
Pool B:
Argentina
Korea
Spain
Zimbabwe
Pool C:
Belgium
Canada
Germany
India
Pool D:
England
Japan
New Zealand
United States
What is India's schedule for the FIH Junior Women's World Cup 2023?
| Date | Fixture |
| November 29 | India vs Canada |
| November 30 | India vs Germany |
| December 2 | Belgium vs India |