Junior Hockey World Cup: India Crash Out In Semifinal

Defending winners India’s hunt for a second back-to-back Junior World Cup trophy died after they underwent a 2-4 setback by the six-time winners Germany in the semifinal on Friday.

Dreams of winning trophy defence broke, a disheartened India would seem to put back the failure immediately and get their bits together as they attempt to seek reprisal against France in the bronze medal play-off race of the FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup here on Sunday.

For India, Uttam Singh and Boby Singh Dhami were the only goal makers. India will go against France in the third-fourth place group match on Sunday, before the final. India had earlier succumbed 4-5 defeat against France in the pool steps.

India’s play was in severe opposition to the system they worked against Belgium in the quarterfinals. While their defence was excellent in the previous match, the Indian loss line was discovered by the Germans. There was no union between the midfield and forward line.

Germany performed great under the steady drizzle connected to the hosts, who hesitated in catching the ball in the slippery situations. In the final of the FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup on Sunday, Germany will be up on Argentina, who beat France 3-1 in the penalty shoot-out in the first semifinal, earlier in the same day.

Prominently, Germany last won the Junior World Cup title in 2013 in New Delhi. Since then, a third-place ending in the last edition in Lucknow in 2016 was their best play.