Ready for Junior World Cup, says Indian hockey captain Manpreet Singh

Indian captain Manpreet Singh on Friday said they are confident of putting up a good show against a tough Holland side in their FIH Junior Hockey World Cup opener.

"Our preparation has been good. We are confident of performing well against Holland. The match will be crucial," Manpreet told reporters here.

India are in pool C with the Netherlands, South Korea, Canada. Pool A features Germany, Pakistan, Belgium and Egypt while Australia, Spain, Argentina and France are in pool B. England, New Zealand, South Africa and Malaysia make up group D.

India play the Netherlands in their first match slated for December 6 followed by matches against Canada (Dec 7) and South Korea (Dec 10).

Rising star Manpreet said that Germany and Holland will pose a big challenge for India.

"Germany and Holland are very strong teams. They are tough opponents. We have practised hard for this tournament," he said.

Manpreet said the team will take one match at a time.

"The competition is tough and we are taking one match at a time. We are capable of finishing among the top teams in the tournament," he said.

Manpreet said it's good for the team that they are playing The Netherlands in their tournament opener.

"If we win against them, it will motivate us to do better in the tournament. The immediate target is to do well against Holland which will give us more confidence."

The India skipper has the experience of playing in 85 matches.