New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) South Korea’s junior hockey coach Kim Young Kyu Tuesday said his boys are keenly looking forward to their encounter with India in the Junior Hockey World Cup that will be played here Dec 6-15.
South Korea are in Pool C with hosts India, the Netherlands and Canada. The Koreans will face India in their last group match slated for Dec 10.
“We played the Indian team in the recently concluded Asian Champions Trophy and Sultan of Johor Cup and they showcased that they are a very competitive team. They are not to be taken lightly,” said Kim after a practice session at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium here.
Asked about his team, Kim said it is a relatively inexperienced but highly talented outfit.
“The Korean team is a fresh squad with an average experience of 3-4 games each. The players are highly talented and who can give a tough time to any team on any given day. We are looking forward to our game with India as I believe that match will decide our
way forward in the tournament,” he said.
Korea are looking to take revenge from India, who denied them the bronze medal in the last year’s Junior Asia Cup in Malacca, Malaysia.
The Koreans were impressive in the early stages of that competition and finished second in Pool A, but their title ambitions were dashed when Pakistan cruised to a 6-1 win in the tournament semi-finals. They were denied a bronze medal when India defeated them 2-1 thanks to a golden goal.
Korea finished bottom of the standings at the recent Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, but they are expected to bounce back here.
