The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) has officially announced the match schedule for the Men’s and Women’s competitions of the Junior AHF Cup 2024 that will take place from 14 to 23 June which will take place in Singapore.
The seventh edition of the Under-21 tournament will be its biggest ever, with a total of 19 teams battling for honours where the inaugural Junior AHF Cup was first held in 2003.
The Sengkang Hockey Stadium in the northeast of the island-nation is the venue for the 12-team men’s tourney that will see hosts Singapore line up in Pool A alongside Bangladesh, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Cambodia, and Indonesia.
Pool B will feature Oman, Chinese Taipei, China, Hong Kong China and Iran and Kazakhstan.
The men’s tournament will take centre stage on the opening day of the competition, with China and Hong Kong China kicking off proceedings at 3pm on 14 June.
The women’s tournament will also be played at Sengkang, a facility that co-hosted the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH) Men’s Junior World Cup in 2009 with the neighbouring Malaysian state of Johor.
The 7-team women’s tourney will see Chinese Taipei, Thailand, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Hong Kong China, Indonesia, and Bangladesh lining up in a single pool competition.
The top five teams in the men’s and women’s tournaments at the Junior AHF Cup will qualify for the respective AHF’s Junior Asia Cup tourneys, where they will face the continent’s top teams the likes of Japan, South Korea, and Malaysia.
AHF President, Dato Fumio Ogura said, “These tournaments represent the pinnacle of junior hockey in Asia, and we are excited to see our talented young athletes showcase their skills at a tournament that promises exhilarating matches, showcasing the burgeoning talent across our continent.
“The Junior AHF Cup serves as a platform for Asia’s aspiring young players to exhibit their skills and test themselves against their regional counterparts.
“With teams from various Asian nations vying for glory, the tournaments are poised to deliver captivating action and fierce competition.”
Singapore Hockey Federation (SHF) Vice-president, Mr Desmond Ang, who is the Chair of the Organising Committee chair, shared similar excitement.
He said, “The Singapore hockey family is excited to open our doors to the Asian hockey fraternity again.
“We have hosted some high-level hockey at Sengkang over the years, from the 2009 Men’s FIH Junior World Cup to the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010 and even the emotional 2015 Southeast Asia Games.
“We are proud to host our neighbours in a competition we are confident will turn the spotlight on our best talents who will gain invaluable experience as they look to conquer higher level challenges in the future.”
The Junior Asia Cup will come to a close with the men’s final on Sunday, 23 June.
PHOTOS: SHF