Uttam Singh is determined to ensure India qualify for the Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup final.
Speaking after India’s friendly match against the Malaysians on Sunday night which the host won 1-0 at the National Hockey Stadium in Bukit Jalil, Uttam, said: “As captain of the team, it is my responsibility to bring home the Junior World Cup trophy. The government and hockey fans have supported us and it is only fair that we win this edition of the JWC.”
“I was disappointed when we finished fourth in the 2021 World Cup in Bhubaneswar, losing to France. It will be a big responsibility on my part this time and I call upon all my teammates to do what is right,” added Uttam who made his senior debut when he was with the Asia Cup squad in Jakarta this year.
“As captain of the team since 2022, we have won the Sultan of Johor Cup (SOJC) that year, defeated Pakistan 2-1 in the 2023 Asia Cup final in Oman, and won a bronze medal in the 2023 edition of the SOJC.
“An ankle injury, however, ruled me out of the Four-Nation Men’s Junior International championships recently in Dusseldorf, Germany,” he added.
The diminutive captain of the team believes it is not impossible for India to advance to the final following their recent success. India is drawn in Group C alongside Spain, Korea, and Canada.
“Of course, we respect all the teams in this JWC, not only in our group. It is going to be a big challenge for India, and me as captain, and we will take one match at a time,” said Uttam who started playing the game aged 10 and it all started at the Karampur Hockey Stadium.
“Except for Korea, we have not played Canada and Spain for a long time. So, it is going to be a new experience for us,” said Uttam.
The Indian team will begin their campaign against the Koreans tomorrow (Dec 5) followed by matches with Spain (Dec 7) and the last group stage match will be against Canada on 9th December. India needs to finish in the top two in Pool C to secure their entry in the quarterfinals.
The team will be without Shardanand Tiwari, who was initially part of the 18-member squad, but has been ruled out after coming down with typhoid. He has been replaced by Sukhvinder Singh.
Vice-Captain Araijeet Singh Hundal echoed Uttam’s thoughts, saying, “The team has grown significantly since the last World Cup. So, we know that we are capable of winning the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023, it’s just a matter of performing to the best of our abilities when the time co
