Belgium's Young Red Lions Arrive in Madurai for Junior Hockey World Cup

Popularly known as The Young Red Lions, the Belgian side has arrived in India, aiming to do better than their predecessors two years ago. At the 2023 World Cup in Malaysia, they missed out on qualifying for the quarterfinals, ultimately finishing ninth.

The Young Red Lions’ best finish in the history of the competition was in 2016, when the Men’s Junior World Cup was played in Lucknow. In that edition, Belgium finished with the silver medal as they lost to hosts India in the final.

Placed in Pool D, Belgium have the likes of Egypt, Namibia, and Spain for company, and will play all their games in the first phase of the tournament in Madurai. Belgium will open their campaign against Namibia on November 28 and play Spain on the 30th, before concluding their group stage fixtures against Egypt on December 2.

Led by Head Coach Sean Dancer, the Young Red Lions will not only be looking to improve upon their performance in 2023, but will also be aiming to go all the way to the gold medal in a country where they have happy memories. Among the players to watch out for will be the duo of Hugo Labouchere (7 caps) and Lucas Balthazar (16 caps), both of whom are key part of Belgium's senior men's team.

Speaking on arrival, Belgium’s Head Coach Sean Dancer said, “I have been to a lot of hockey tournaments before around the world, but I have never had a welcome like this, at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025. So, it is amazing being here in Madurai.”

When asked about the Young Red Lions’ preparations for the upcoming Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025, the Head Coach added, “We've been working really hard in Belgium in preparation, and we are really happy about our progress so far. And we're really looking forward to the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025.”

Ireland is the first team to arrive in Madurai for the tournament to be played from November 28 to December 10, bringing together 24 teams from all around the world for the biggest field ever in the Junior World Cup, which will be played in Chennai and Madurai.

Ireland have been drawn in Pool A, where they will face Canada, Germany, and South Africa in the group stage. The Green Machine, as they are popularly known, open their campaign against Canada on November 28, before taking on South Africa on the next day, November 29, and concluding their pool fixtures against Germany on December 1.

- IANS