India will host next year’s Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup, marking the event’s return to the country after nine years, the Executive Board of the International Hockey Federation announced on Tuesday. The tournament will be held in December and will be the first time ever that a Hockey Junior World Cup will include as many as 24 teams. FIH President Tayyab Ikram announced, “Giving more opportunities to play to a larger and more diverse number of National Associations is one of the key pillars of our empowerment and engagement strategy.” “We saw at the FIH Hockey5s World Cup in Oman this year how more diversity brings a huge added value to our events. Therefore, I’m very happy that we’ve increased the number of participating teams for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cups and I look forward to seeing these 24 young teams, representing the future of our sport, next year!” he added. The last edition of the tournament was held in Kuala Lumpur in 2023 with Germany emerging as winners with a 2-1 win over France. Spain and India took the third and fourth places respectively. India has hosted the tournament three times in the past: in 2013 (New Delhi), 2016 (Lucknow), and 2021 (Bhubaneswar). India were the winners of the 2016 edition as well. FIH President Tayyab Ikram expressed gratitude to Hockey India for their commitment to organize yet another fantastic event. Extending his gratitude, President of Hockey India Dilip Tirkey said, “This prestigious tournament highlights India’s growing importance in international hockey and shows our dedication to developing the sport for future generations.” Secretary General of Hockey India Bhola Nath Singh also viewed this as a significant step for HI. “We appreciate the FIH’s trust in us. This event offers a fantastic chance to bring hockey to even greater heights, inspiring a whole new generation of players and fans in India and globally. We’re committed to making this tournament a memorable experience that celebrates everything hockey is about,” he added.