From crowdfunding a team to impressing at Junior Men’s World Cup 2025, a different Hockey blooms for Switzerland

Switzerland, despite the International Hockey Federation’s (FIH’s) headquarters, has historically been absent from international hockey—until the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup 2025.

The picturesque Central European country, renowned for its wealth, neutrality, and direct democracy, has turned heads in the hockey world in the tournament here.

Switzerland won both matches in its first-ever international tournament so far, positioning itself for a potential quarterfinal berth heading into a virtual knockout against host India in Madurai on December 2.

From Niche to Global Stage

Just before Switzerland’s thrilling 3-2 victory over Chile on Saturday, Punleuk Kam, Managing Director of Swiss Hockey, was seen navigating the stands. Distributing miniature Swiss flags, he encouraged fans to cheer loudly.

With a smile, he quipped to the press, “Switzerland is a neutral country. So, if you wave the flag and cheer for us, you are still supporting both teams!”

By the final hooter, hundreds had embraced the Swiss underdog at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, celebrating its second successive win following a 4-0 victory against Oman.

“Can’t be better, right? It can’t. We showed a lot of ambition and so much fire. It felt like a home game,” said Switzerland’s head coach Jair Levie after the match.

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However, field hockey remains a niche pursuit in Switzerland, which is far more recognised for its ice hockey—ranked 3rd for men and 5th for women globally.

“It is an amateur sport in Switzerland with around 2,000 licensed players and about 25 clubs,” Kam told Sportstar, highlighting the challenges of inadequate infrastructure. “We can play outdoor hockey only from April till the end of October; the rest of the year we have to play indoors. Big cities like Zurich, Basel and Geneva have astroturf pitches; we have five or six of them.”

Crowdfunding Fuels the Dream

Switzerland secured this historic World Cup qualification by clinching the Men’s 2024 Euro Hockey U21 Championship II-B. Yet, to fund its participation, the federation had to resort to crowdfunding.

A project on the ibelieveinyou website asking for CHF 30,000 ultimately collected CHF 30,259.

Kam explained that coming to the tournament was a collaborative effort. “One hand is obviously crowdfunding. We get some help from the Swiss Olympic Association, but mostly from private resources of the friends and the parents and families that chip in so that we can come here,” he said.

The squad mostly comprises students on leave from universities and jobs to travel to India. They are not paid and are covering their daily expenses themselves, purely for the love of the sport.

Paving the Way for Change

The stunning early success is sparking hopes within the Swiss hockey community for a shift in perception back home.

“We have tried to do everything we can to put field hockey into the picture. It’s all about ice hockey in Switzerland, and now with all that we have done here, hopefully, we’ll get this to work,” said coach Levie.

For Swiss Hockey, the Junior World Cup’s success is merely the beginning — a platform to emulate the success stories of hockey nations like the Netherlands.

“We are currently establishing partnerships with schools to integrate hockey as an official discipline within their Physical Education (PE) curriculum. The aim is to introduce the sport to students at an early age. Our strategy involves studying successful models from other countries, such as the Netherlands, and adapting their methods for popularising hockey,” Kam concluded.

Published on Nov 30, 2025