Malaysia U-21 men's hockey team arrives in India for eight-match exposure tour
Bengaluru, August 2
The Malaysia U-21 men's hockey team has arrived in Bengaluru for an eight-match exposure tour, where they will take on the Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team in five matches and the SAI Team in three matches at the SAI Netaji Subhas Southern Centre.
The series forms an important part of both teams' preparations for upcoming international competitions. The tour will see the Malaysia U-21 team play five matches against the Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team and three matches against the SAI Team, according to Hockey India.
The exposure series is designed to provide both teams with high-quality competitive opportunities while strengthening bilateral sporting ties.
The Indian Junior Men's Team will face Malaysia on August 7 (4:00 PM), August 8 (6:00 PM), August 10 (10:00 AM), 12 August (2:00 PM), and 13 August (2:00 PM). In addition, the Malaysian team will take on the SAI Team on 3 August (2:00 PM), 5 August (4:00 PM), and 15 August (6:00 PM).
Speaking ahead of the series, Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team Coach Frederic Soyez said, "These matches will serve as important preparation for the Asia Cup. They are part of the continuity of the work we started during our tour in Belgium, where we already saw significant progress throughout the matches we played there. We hope this series against Malaysia will allow us to continue building on that progress by reinforcing the work we put in during our time in Belgium, as well as the improvements made over this past week of training."
The exposure tour follows the Indian Junior Men's Team's productive training and competition phase in Belgium and forms a key part of their preparations for the upcoming Junior Asia Cup. The series is expected to provide the players with valuable international match experience and help the coaching staff assess combinations and strategies ahead of the continental tournament.
Match Schedule:
Malaysia U-21 vs Indian Junior Men's Team
7 August 2026 - 4:00 PM8 August 2026 - 6:00 PM10 August 2026 - 10:00 AM12 August 2026 - 2:00 PM13 August 2026 - 2:00 PMMalaysia U-21 vs SAI Team
3 August 2026 - 2:00 PM5 August 2026 - 4:00 PM15 August 2026 - 6:00 PMVenue: SAI Netaji Subhas Southern Centre, Mysuru Road, Bengaluru.
— ANI
Reader Comments
This is a smart move. Our junior team needs maximum international exposure, especially against teams like Malaysia who have a strong hockey culture. The coach seems to have a clear vision with the continuity from Belgium. Wishing both teams a competitive series! 🤞
Good to see bilateral sporting ties being strengthened. Malaysia always produces quality hockey teams, so this will be a proper test for our juniors. Also, the SAI team matches will give the younger prospects a chance to showcase themselves. All the best to the boys! 💪
Nice to see India investing in junior development. The coach's comments about building on the Belgium tour performance are encouraging. These matches will help build squad depth and give the coaching staff a clear picture before the Asia Cup. 👍
Happy to see hockey getting attention at the junior level. The schedule looks well-planned with matches spread over two weeks. Hope the players make the most of this opportunity and we see some future stars emerging from this series. All the best to Team India! 🌟
While this is good preparation, I hope the focus is on developing core skills rather than just playing matches. The Asia Cup will demand a lot from these players, so I'd like to see emphasis on fitness, penalty corners, and tactical awareness. The coach seems experienced though, so I'm optimistic. 🇮🇳
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