In a heart-stopping encounter at the Egmore stadium in Chennai, India's junior men's hockey team kept its World Cup dreams alive with a dramatic victory over Belgium. The FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 quarterfinal clash ended 2-2 in regulation time, with India triumphing 4-3 in a tense penalty shootout to book a spot in the semifinals.
A Goalkeeping Masterclass Seals the Deal
The hero of the hour was undoubtedly goalkeeper Princedeep Singh, whose phenomenal performance between the posts earned him the Player of the Match award. Drawing inspiration from his legendary coach, PR Sreejesh, Princedeep made a series of crucial saves during the match and was instrumental in the shootout. "Have learnt a lot from Sreejesh and the confidence is up watching him, learning from him. It was a sensational match, and the crowd support in Chennai has been incredible," said the elated goalkeeper after the win.
Rollercoaster Match Sees India Fight Back Twice
Belgium struck first, taking an early lead in the 13th minute through a field goal by Gaspard Cornez-Massant. Their solid defence held firm, frustrating the Indian attackers for the next two quarters. However, the home side returned from halftime with renewed vigour.
The momentum shifted in the 45th minute when Indian captain Rohit fired in a powerful dragflick to level the scores at 1-1. Riding on the wave of support from the Chennai crowd, India then took the lead just three minutes later. Sharda Nand Tiwari expertly converted a penalty corner to make it 2-1, sending the stadium into a frenzy.
The joy, however, was short-lived. In a dramatic twist, Belgium's Nathan Rogge found an equaliser in the 59th minute, forcing the game into a shootout.
Shootout Specialists Step Up
When the pressure was at its peak, Sharda Nand Tiwari proved his nerve by successfully converting three penalty strokes in the shootout. The final and decisive blow was delivered by Ankit Pal, who scored the winning goal to seal the 4-3 shootout victory for India, sparking wild celebrations.
With this hard-fought win, the Indian team now sets its sights on an even bigger challenge. They are scheduled to face the seven-time champions Germany in the semifinal on December 7. The nation will be hoping for another inspired performance as the young colts aim for a place in the final of the prestigious Junior World Cup.
