India’s Junior Hockey World Cup dream ends after 1–5 defeat to title holders Germany in semi-final

India's aspiration to reclaim the FIH Men's Junior World Cup after a nine-year gap was dashed on Sunday as they suffered a 1-5 defeat against the seven-time champions and current title holders, Germany, in the semifinal held in Chennai. The last time India triumphed in the Junior World Cup was in 2016 in Lucknow. The relentless Germans found the net through Lukas Kossel (14th, 30th minutes), Titus Wex (15th), Jonas von Gersum (40th), and Ben Hasbach (49th). India managed to score once in the 51st minute with a penalty corner conversion by Anmol Ekka.

Looking ahead, India will face Argentina for the bronze medal on Wednesday, while Germany is set to clash with Spain in the final. Earlier, Spain had secured their place in the final by defeating Argentina 2-1 in the first semifinal.

India began the match positively, but as the game unfolded, Germany took control. The Germans had the first attempt on goal in the eighth minute, but goalkeeper Princedeep Singh was quick to deny Ben Hasbach's reverse hit. As the match progressed, Germany's confidence grew, leading to their first penalty corner in the 13th minute.