Pakistan hockey team arrives in Bhubaneswar for Junior World Cup

The Pakistan team arrived after South Africa and Korea reached Bhubaneswar for the megaevent. Grouped in Pool A, along with Belgium, Chile, and Malaysia, South Africa are in for a challenging start in the group stage.

"It's been a period of difficult two years due to the pandemic with lots of training and preparations getting disrupted. But we have prepared the best we can back at home. So, no excuses, every team has faced similar challenges, and we are ready to go," said Sihle Ntuli, South Africa Head Coach according to a Hockey India release.

Excited to compete in Bhubaneswar at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, Ntuli further said, "I believe it is the best stadium in the world and I am very happy for my players getting the opportunity to play at the stadium. We are very excited."

South Africa will face off against Belgium in the first game of the tournament on Wednesday, while Korea, who are placed in Group C along with the Netherlands, Spain, and the USA will take on the Dutch team in their first game of the competition on Thursday.