Men's Junior Hockey World Cup: Teams excited to play in Kalinga Stadium

Germany, Poland and Canada junior hockey teams arrived in Bhubaneshwar for the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup. The Men's Junior Hockey World Cup commences at Kalinga Stadium on November 24.

Most of the teams are playing at the iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar for the first time. They expressed their excitement at participating in the marquee tournament.

The German junior men's hockey team is grouped in Pool D, along with Argentina, Egypt, and Pakistan. They will be greeted with tough competition right from the start.

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Germany's head coach Valentin Altenburg said the team had prepared well and had trained in small regional groups during the COVID-19 lockdown periods.

"We got to play games against our European friends during the summer months, which will help us in the tournament. We are extremely excited to come and play here in Bhubaneswar in such a big stadium. Kalinga Stadium is one of the finest hockey stadiums in the world."

Germany will face Pakistan in their first match of the junior World Cup on November 24.

Junior hockey teams at the back of intense preparation

The Polish junior team arrived in Bhubaneshwar on Friday. Head coach Jacek Adrian spoke about their preparations for the marquee tournament.

"Our preparation for the event was not very long. The weather in Poland is completely different, it is very cold, especially in winters. We tried to do the best we could do, and I think we will play our best hockey here."

Canada team captain Christopher Tardif said the team is looking forward to making a mark at the World Cup. He said:

"We are really excited, we are looking forward to playing in one of the Meccas for hockey in the world, and the stadium is really impressive. We are looking forward to getting a few games in there."

Poland and Canada are both placed in Group B along with France and India. They will face off against each other in their opening game of the tournament on November 24.