The 2016 Junior Men’s World Cup will be the big focus area of the Indian junior men’s hockey team. The big-ticket event is being hosted by India for the second consecutive time after the hosts had finished a disappointing tenth in the 2013 edition. Clearly, the Harendra Singh-coached national side is looking to put in the hard yards and be in best physical shape before the marquee event.
The national preparatory camp of the Indian boys got underway at the Sports Authority of India South Centre in Bengaluru. “Our camp has got underway and the boys are hitting the drills. The camp will go on till June. We hope to use this camp to work on areas that need improvement. The boys are keen to raise the bar and get better,” says Indian junior men team head coach Harendra Singh.
The Indian junior side will be undertaking a series of international tours to get ready for the 2016 Junior Men’s World Cup to be held from December 1 to 10. The national side is expected to tour Europe in July. “We visit Germany and England in July to get some vital exposure before the the 2016 Junior Men’s World Cup. There are also plans to visit Spain in October,” Harendra informs.
Also Read: Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup: Time for Indian boys to hit the training drills
It may be worth recalling that India have opted out of the Sultan of Johor Cup to be held in Malaysia. “The tournament is held close to the 2016 Junior Men’s World Cup and we don’t want to risk injuries as recovery time will be less in such a scenario,” he adds.
The Junior Men’s World Cup was first held in Versailles, France when Pakistan won the inaugural edition. India have won the Junior Men’s World Cup once in Hobart in 2011 and were runners-up at Milton Keynes, England in 1997, losing to Australia in the final.
