The electric atmosphere at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium on Sunday night turned into heartbreak for the home crowd as the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team’s dream run came to a crushing halt. Seven-time champions Germany produced a clinical masterclass, thumping the hosts 5-1 to storm into the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2025 final.
From the opening whistle, Germany imposed their authority. An early penalty corner led to a calm conversion by Lukas Kossel in the 14th minute, drawing first blood. Just seconds before the first hooter, Titus Wex deflected a shot past Indian goalkeeper Princedeep Singh, leaving the crowd stunned and the scoreboard reading 2-0. The nightmare continued when Kossel struck again from another penalty corner just before halftime, giving Germany a commanding 3-0 lead at the break.
India tried to regroup after the interval, but the German defence remained rock-solid, repelling wave after wave of attacks. On the counter, Jonas von Gersum and Ben Hasbach struck with lethal efficiency, pushing the scoreline to an emphatic 5-0. Only late in the fourth quarter did India find a glimmer of pride, as defender Anmol Ekka converted the team’s first penalty corner in the 50th minute. The final whistle confirmed a 5-1 defeat, ending India’s hopes of reaching the final on home soil.
Across the city, Spain pulled off a tense 2-1 victory over Argentina in the second semi-final, setting up a historic final against Germany. Mario Mena put Spain ahead early, but Argentina fought back through Juan Fernandez. In the dying minutes, Albert Serrahima’s deft deflection sealed Spain’s maiden Junior World Cup final berth.
Meanwhile, in the classification rounds, Belgium edged France 3-2 to set up a 5th-6th place clash against the Netherlands, who hammered New Zealand 6-3. France and New Zealand will face off for 7th-8th positions.
With the semi-finals complete, all eyes now turn to the final showdown between Germany and Spain, while India must regroup and focus on clinching a medal in the Bronze Medal match against Argentina.
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