India set to open campaign against Namibia as FIH Junior Women's World Cup begins in Santiago

India, led by Captain Jyoti Singh, will face Namibia in their opening match. The two sides have not met in any recent FIH-sanctioned event, making the contest an intriguing start as India looks to settle early nerves in the prestigious global tournament, as per a Hockey India press release.

The team arrived in Santiago a week in advance to acclimatise to the conditions and fine-tune preparations ahead of the competition. This edition is historic, as the tournament features 24 teams for the first time, an expansion from the 16-team format used until 2023.

Speaking about the team's readiness, Captain Jyoti Singh said, "We reached a week early to begin our preparations. The team has adjusted well to the local conditions, and the morale is high. Our first match is against Namibia, and we want to build momentum from the very start. The group has been training with great intensity, and every player is eager to execute the plans we've worked on. We are fully focused on taking it one match at a time and delivering our best hockey throughout the tournament."

The expanded 24-team format has been divided into six pools. Pool A features hosts Chile alongside Japan, Malaysia and the Netherlands. Pool B includes Argentina, Belgium, Wales and Zimbabwe, while Pool C comprises Germany, India, Ireland and Namibia. Pool D brings together Austria, the People's Republic of China, England and South Africa. In Pool E, Australia, Canada, Scotland and Spain will compete, and Pool F consists of New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, the USA and Uruguay.

India will face Germany on Wednesday, December 3, followed by Ireland on Friday, December 5, in their final pool-stage match.

This will be India's seventh appearance at the Junior Women's Hockey World Cup. Their best performance came in 2013, when the team defeated England in a thrilling penalty shootout to claim the bronze medal. (ANI)