The United States and Chile arrived here on Thursday for the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021. Grouped in Pool C, with Korea, Spain and the Netherlands, the USA are in for an uphill battle for a place in the group stages.
USA will begin their campaign against Spain on 25 November, while Chile and Malaysia, who are placed in Group A along with Belgium and South Africa, will be up against each other in their first game of the tournament on 24 November.
“We had a camp in California. It was about ten days, so we set up a training camp there. We were preparing as a team, so we’re ready to go,” said USA head coach Pat Harris. said.
Excited to compete in Bhubaneswar at the prestigious Kalinga Stadium, Harris said, “The boys are very excited. For many, this is the first time that they have been in such a hockey environment. I think for the world, India has a very strong hockey culture with a big hockey stadium. So, I am sure the boys will really enjoy playing in the hockey stadium.”
Talking about the team’s preparations, Chile captain Nicolas Abujatum said, ‘We are preparing a lot. We were part of the Pan-American Championships, which was a big part of our process. After that we continued with our staff training for the World Cup. We are excited to play at the Kalinga Stadium as most of us have never played in such a big stadium.”
Meanwhile, Team Malaysia reached Bhubaneswar on Wednesday night. Speaking on the prospect of playing at the prestigious Kalinga Stadium, Malaysia’s Head Coach Wallace Tan said, “Our team is very excited to play at the Kalinga Stadium as it is a very large and respected stadium. There have been many major tournaments and many more. The legends have played here, so it will be an honor to play here.”
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