India’s junior men’s hockey team left for Berlin on Wednesday to participate in a four-nation tournament scheduled from June 21 to 25. This tournament is a precursor to the World Cup to be held later this year.

The junior team, led by captain Araijeet Singh Hundal with Amir Ali as his deputy, flew to Berlin early on Wednesday morning from Bengaluru. They will play their first match of the tournament against hosts Germany on June 21. India’s next match is against Australia on June 22, followed by a tie against Spain on June 24 during the round-robin stage. All matches will be held in Berlin.

The tournament will come to a conclusion with classification matches on June 25, where the top two teams from the pool will compete for the championship and the remaining two will vie for the third position.

Emphasising on the significance of the tournament in the run-up to the World Cup scheduled to take place in Chennai and Madurai from November 28 to December 10, captain Araijeet Singh Hundal said in a press release issued by Hockey India, “This tournament is crucial for us ahead of the FIH Junior World Cup. With just a few months to go, it’s a perfect opportunity for us to assess our strengths, try out new combinations and identify areas for improvement. We’ll be facing some of the best hockey teams, which will allow us to test our strength and try different strategies.”

Echoing Hundal’s sentiment, Amir Ali said the tournament would help them identify and address any gaps before the World Cup.