Korea coach Kim Young Kyu today said that his team was looking forward to play against hosts India in their Pool C league match in the upcoming Hockey Junior World Cup starting here on Friday.
The Korean team, which today went through a systematic training session at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium, is all set to play its inaugural match against Canada on the opening day of the tournament, followed by The Netherlands (Dec 7) and India (Dec 10).
"We played the Indian team in the recently concluded Asian Champions Trophy and Sultan of Johor Cup and they showcased that they are a very competitive team and not to be taken lightly," said the coach.
"While the Korean team is a fresh squad with an average experience of 3-4 games each, the players are highly talented and can give a tough time to any team on any given day. We are looking forward to our game with India as I believe that match will decide our way forward in the tournament," he added.
Korea earned a berth in the Junior World Cup by finishing fourth at the 2012 Junior Asia Cup in Malacca, Malaysia. The team was impressive in the early stages of that competition and finished second in Pool A, but its title ambitions were ended when Pakistan cruised to a 6-1 win in the tournament semi-finals.
They were denied a bronze medal when India defeated them 2-1 thanks to a golden goal.
Korea finished at the bottom of the standings at the recent Sultan of Johor Cup in Malaysia, but they are expected to be back at their best here.
Seo Inwoo will be the one to watch out for during the tournament. He has made regular appearances for the Korea senior side and could well be the one to inspire his team in the competition.
