CHENNAI: Australia team coach and former multiple Olympic medallist Jay Stacy insisted that the team needs to play its best hockey to go all the way in the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup beginning from Friday in Chennai and Madurai. The Australian junior team, known as the 'Burras', last won the junior title in 1997.
Currently, the team is drawn in Group F, along with Bangladesh, France and South Korea. Their first game is against Bangladesh on Saturday at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here.
Stacy, who was part of the silver-medal winning Australian senior men’s hockey team in the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, assessed their chances in this campaign. “Well, I don't know too much about Bangladesh and also Korea, we haven't seen them that much so that'll be a little bit of a wait and see. We do have some video footage of Bangladesh and we'll do our preparation like we do for all teams,” he said.
In the 2023 edition, France knocked Australia out in the Jr. World Cup quarterfinals. “They are a good team, they made the final last time. They're a strong nation at U21 levels, so we're going to have to be somewhere near our best and consistent to try and beat them,” he added.
Australia are bound to come in with high confidence, as they beat the Indian junior team 2-1 in the Sultan of Johor Cup in October. Defender Ian Grobelaar, who scored six goals in Australia’s title winning run in Malaysia, will once again be crucial for their chances.
Stacy warned that this campaign is different and the team needs to play its best game in this tournament. “The World Cup is another matter, but certainly winning that tournament gives the players and the coaching staff belief that what we are trying to do can work and it's about executing our game plan and having a consistent play through the tournament and then we will see where it gets us to,” he said.