- By Gurmeet Batra
- Sun, 07 Dec 2025 11:45 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
FIH Men's Junior World Cup: India's hopes of concluding a nine-year drought for the FIH Men's Junior World Cup crown were dashed as they suffered a crushing 1-5 defeat to seven-time champions and defending champions Germany in the semifinals on Sunday.
India last won the Junior World Cup in 2016 in Lucknow. The brutal Germans scored through Lukas Kossel (14th, 30th minutes), Titus Wex (15th), Jonas von Gersum (40th) and Ben Hasbach (49th).
India finally found some tempo to pull one back in the 51st minute through a penalty-corner conversion by Anmol Ekka. India will now take on Argentina for the bronze medal on Wednesday, while the seven-time champions will face Spain in the final.
In the match, India got off to a positive note, but the Germans took possession of the proceedings. Germany had the first shot at the goal in the eighth minute, but goalkeeper Princedeep Singh was attentive to refuse Ben Hasbach's reverse blow.
Germany gained confidence as the match advanced and secured their first penalty corner in the 13th minute. Germany gained a penalty stroke as the goal-mouth shot from the resulting penalty corner hit the body of an Indian defender. Lukas Kossel made no mistake in scoring the goal.
It did not take much time for Germany to double the lead at the stroke of the first quarter as Wex deflected in a cross from Kossel.
As it was just 11 seconds from the end of the second quarter, Germany secured their second penalty corner. Kossel took the shot, giving the reigning champions a handsome 3-0 lead at half-time.
India had a promising chance to pull one back three minutes after the change of fortunes, but Sourabh Anand Kushwaha failed to capitalise on an open goal.
Germany resumed their sovereignty as the Indians looked a sickly shadow of themselves. Germany quickly gained back-to-back penalty corners in the 36th minute but squandered both the opportunities.
Soon their diligence resulted in another goal in the 40th minute when Jonas von Gersum neatly deflected in a high ball. The seven-time champions continued to tease with the Indian defence and secured their fourth penalty corner in the 42nd minute, which the Indians defended powerfully.
Germany grew their lead to 5-0 in the 49th minute through Hasbach, who smashed a diving goal past goalkeeper Bikramjit Singh from a one-on-one position after acquiring an aerial ball from the deep.
Down and out, India booked back-to-back penalty corners in the 51st minute, and Anmol found the net from a deviation effort. The Indians tried to push hard thereafter, but by then the match was already over.