The eighth edition of the Men's Junior Asia Cup begins on Saturday at the Wisma Belia Hockey Stadium in Kuantan, Malaysia.
Taking place between 14-22 November, the hosts enter the tournament as the reigning champions, having won the last Men's Junior Asia Cup three years ago, also in Malaysia, in the city of Malacca.
The Malaysian juniors will be hoping to defend their title in front of the passionate Malaysian fans but a strong challenge is expected from the traditional hockey powerhouses of India, Pakistan and Korea.
The remaining contenders, Japan, China, Oman and Bangladesh are all good for surprise upsets, so nothing is set in place when the games get under way at the weekend.
The Junior Asia Cup is an important competition for Asian junior teams: not only is the continental title and associated prestige at stake, but the tournament also serves as a qualifier for the Men's Hockey Junior World Cup which will be held in India in December 2016.
There are four Junior World Cup places on offer to Asia, with one place already assigned to India in their role as host country. The three remaining places will be on offer in Kuantan and will be assigned to the three highest ranked teams other than India at the end of the event.
At the last Men's Hockey Junior World Cup, held in Delhi, India, in December 2013, Malaysia were the highest finishing Asian men's team in fourth place. Korea finished eighth, Pakistan ninth and India 10th.
Junior Asia Cup 2015
Pool A: India, Malaysia, Japan, China
Pool B: Korea, Pakistan, Oman, Bangladesh
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Photo: Asian Hockey Federation
