KUALA LUMPUR – Germany is not getting hung up on its illustrious history at the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup, scheduled from December 2 to 16 at the Bukit Jalil Hockey Stadium.
The Germans are six-time champions and have won three of the six titles on Malaysian soil.
The team won in Kuala Lumpur in 1982, Ipoh in 1989, and 2009 where Singapore and Johor Bahru co-hosted the tournament, and the Germans defeated the Netherlands 3-1 in the final on the Malaysian side of the Tebrau Strait.
“Of course, we are trying to achieve great goals. We want to get to the semifinals and see what happens next. It would be great if we could continue the success that German junior teams have had on Malaysian soil, so winning a fourth here would be amazing.
“But at the moment, we are only concerned with our first game against South Africa,” said the German coach, Rein van Eijk.
Germany is entering the World Cup on the back of winning the Sultan of Johor Cup last month, defeating Australia 3-1 in a penalty shootout after both teams failed to score in normal time.
Van Eijk’s men will face South Africa in their opening match on Tuesday, and the 35-year-old said the Africans will be tough opponents, as they have played against them twice in Johor.
“The team we will face in the World Cup will be different, and they have an experienced team. We respect them, but I want to focus more on ourselves, and we are looking forward to the first game,” he added.
Germany captain Matteo Poljaric echoed his coach’s sentiment when it comes to the team’s successful history in the tournament.
“We have waited a long time for this tournament, and I think there is a lot of joy and excitement in our team. We have good vibes at the moment, and we can’t wait to get started.
“I don’t think we worry so much about winning the six world titles and would like to just keep focusing on our game and our team.
“We want to write our own history in this tournament,” said the 21-year-old midfielder. – December 3, 2023