India continued their flawless run in the 2025 FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup, registering an emphatic 5-0 win over Switzerland at the Madurai International Hockey Stadium on Tuesday night. The victory secured India’s top spot in Pool B, with the hosts remaining unbeaten and yet to concede a single goal in the tournament.
From the very first whistle, India showcased their dominance, controlling possession and dictating the pace of the game. The match was a masterclass in clinical attacking play and tight defensive organisation. Manmeet Singh, marking his birthday in style, opened the scoring with a stunning flick in the 12th minute, sending the home crowd into raptures. His precision was matched by Sharda Tiwari, who added another with a powerful drag flick from a penalty corner just before halftime.
The second half saw India push forward relentlessly. Arshdeep Singh made his mark with a spectacular reverse flick in the 40th minute, before Tiwari sealed his brace with another well-executed drag flick, taking India to a commanding 5-0 lead by the final whistle. Switzerland, despite their unbeaten record in the group stage, had no answer to the relentless attacking force and rock-solid defense of the hosts.
With three victories from three matches and a remarkable goal tally of 29 goals scored and none conceded, India enters the knockout phase of the tournament with supreme confidence. The team’s forward line is in red-hot form, with Manmeet, Tiwari, and Arshdeep leading the charge, while the defense remains unbreached, supported by a dynamic midfield that controls the tempo of play.
As India heads into the quarter-finals, the team’s flawless rhythm will be their key asset. They’ll look to sharpen their penalty-corner execution even further while maintaining their defensive perfection. The confidence is palpable, and with home advantage on their side, they will be looking to go all the way and claim the Junior World Cup title on home soil.
Across the tournament, there were other exciting matches that highlighted the fierce competition in the pool stages. Last edition’s silver medallist, France, secured their place in the quarter-finals with a narrow 3-2 win over Bangladesh. France, who had already outclassed Korea 11-1 and Australia 8-3, displayed their attacking prowess, while Bangladesh showed resilience in the second half but couldn’t stop the French juggernaut.
In a crucial encounter, Australia kept their hopes alive with a 3-1 win over Korea, thanks to goals from Duncan Jackson, Ian Grobbelaar, and Daykin Stanger. However, it wasn’t enough to propel them into the knockout rounds, and the former champions were eliminated, much to the disappointment of their fans.
Meanwhile, Chile claimed a consolation victory against Oman, winning 2-0 in a match that had no bearing on the overall standings. Chile’s Felipe Duisberg and Tomas Taborga both found the back of the net, showing the team’s fighting spirit despite being out of the knockout race.
As the tournament progresses, all eyes will be on India as they look to carry their perfect record into the high-stakes knockout stages. With a lethal attack, a granite defense, and the backing of an electrified home crowd, the road to the World Cup final is now wide open for the Indian juniors.
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