NEW DELHI, SEP 25: Defending champion Indian men’s junior hockey team will open their title defence on October 11 against arch rivals Pakistan at the 5th edition of the Sultan of Johor Cup, to be held in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
Slated to be played in Round Robin format from 11-18 October 2015, the tournament organised by the Malaysian Hockey Confederation, will witness India, Australia, Great Britain, Argentina, Pakistan and Malaysia vying for the championship.
India will play their next matches against Great Britain (October 12), Argentina (October 14), Malaysia (October 15) and Australia (October 17).
The final along with the classification matches will be played on October 18. The inaugural match will be played between Argentina and Australia.
The Indian men’s junior team have been the title champions for the last two editions and the win this year will mark a hat-trick for the team. The team which is undergoing training under Coach Harendra Singh at Delhi, are working on team structure, coordination, passes and conversions which will help them put a strong fight during the tourney.
Speaking on the upcoming tournament, Mohd Mushtaque Ahmad, Secretary General, Hockey India said, “It’s a very important tournament for us for two reasons. Firstly because we are aiming at continuing our winning streak and defend the title which the team has successfully done for the last two editions. Secondly the win here will help boost the team for the upcoming 8th Men’s Junior Asia Cup as they are vying for the Asian Champions title. This team is very ambitious in their targets and I am sure they go all out to achieve it. I am confident they will live upto their own expectations and come back victorious”.
