Challenger trophy

Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu: The FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 entered the classification rounds for the 9-16 and 17-24 positions on Thursday in Madurai and Chennai after a day’s break, with teams producing some interesting results.

The teams missing out on the quarterfinals are now vying for the best possible finish, with the best-placed team in the 17-24 bracket also receiving the Challenger Trophy, an initiative from FIH President Tayyab Ikram. The day saw exciting hockey across eight matches in Madurai and Chennai, including the tournament’s first shootout, a historic win for Bangladesh, and a tough grind for Australia.