Bhubaneswar: The FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, which commences on November 24, would be a telecast-only tournament after Hockey India and the FIH agreed to hold the premier quadrennial tournament behind closed doors.
The organisers believe it will be impossible to control such a large crowd while adhering to all of the necessary covid guidelines and protocols laid out by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MOHFW), Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, State Government, FIH, and Hockey India.
Due to the current Covid-19 pandemic crisis, social distance is a priority, and the safety of fans and sportsmen must be prioritised. Hence, it is critical for the organisers to hold the tournament in an atmosphere that prioritises the health and safety of the competing teams.
While the stadium will only be open to accredited staff and tournament participants, fans can tune in to all games and cheer on their favourite teams and players on platforms all around the world.
The FIH Odisha Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021 will see 16 teams in the fray. The participating teams include defending champions and hosts India, Argentina, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Egypt, France, Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Poland, South Africa, Spain, The Netherlands and the United States. Following the five days of pool stage matches, the classification matches will begin on November 30th, with the Quarter Finals on December 1st, Semi Finals on December 3rd, and the title final on December 5th.
