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Key Points

The Indian junior men’s hockey team faced a tough 7-1 loss against Germany in their opening match of the 4-Nation Tournament. Germany took control early with quick goals, while India struggled to keep pace. Sourabh Anand Kushwaha scored India’s only goal in the fourth quarter. The team will now prepare for their next match against Australia.

Key Points: India Junior Hockey Team Loses 7-1 to Germany in 4-Nation Opener

  • Germany dominated early with goals in 4th and 5th minutes
  • Hasbach Ben scored a hat-trick for the hosts
  • India’s lone goal came from Sourabh Anand Kushwaha
  • Team faces Australia next in the tournament
2 min read

Indian jr men's hockey team starts 4-Nation Tournament with 1-7 loss to hosts Germany

Indian junior men’s hockey team suffers heavy 7-1 defeat against Germany in their first match of the 4-Nation Tournament in Berlin.

"Despite trailing, India showed signs of resilience in the fourth quarter with Sourabh Anand Kushwaha netting a goal. – Match Report"

Berlin, June 21

The Indian junior men’s hockey team endured a tough start to their campaign in the 4-Nation Tournament, suffering a 1-7 defeat against a dominant German side in their opening match here on Saturday.

Germany started strongly, putting India under pressure early in the game. Nico Kistein (4’) opened the scoring by converting a penalty corner, followed swiftly by a field goal from Alec Von Schwerin (5’), giving the hosts a 2-0 lead within the opening quarter.

The momentum stayed with Germany in the second quarter as they continued to apply attacking pressure. Hasbach Ben (25’) extended their lead with a field goal, ensuring Germany went into halftime with a commanding 3-0 advantage.

The second half offered little respite for the Indian Colts as the hosts kept control of the match. Paul Babic (39’) added another goal to make it 4-0. Despite trailing, India showed signs of resilience in the fourth quarter with forward Sourabh Anand Kushwaha (50’) netting a field goal to reduce the deficit to 4-1.

However, Germany responded immediately, as Hasbach Ben (51’, 54’) struck twice to complete his hat-trick, while Paul Babic (54’) added his second goal of the game to seal a comprehensive 7-1 win for the hosts.

India will look to bounce back when they take on Australia on 22nd June, followed by a clash against Spain on 24th June in the remaining Pool stage fixtures.

The tournament features a round-robin format where each of the four participating teams – India, Germany, Australia, and Spain – will face each other once in the Pool stage. The top two teams at the end of the group matches will qualify for the Final, while the remaining teams will contest the 3rd/4th place playoff.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul P.
Tough loss but it's a learning experience for our young players. Germany is always a strong hockey nation. Hope the boys analyze their mistakes and come back stronger against Australia 🇮🇳🏑
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Priya K.
The scoreline hurts but at least we got one goal through Sourabh! Our defense needs serious work though - conceding 7 goals is unacceptable at any level. Coach needs to fix the gaps before next match.
A
Arjun S.
Playing against top teams like Germany is exactly what our juniors need to improve. Remember how our senior team struggled initially in Europe before becoming world beaters? This is part of the process. #KeepFaith
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Sunita M.
The German team's fitness and coordination was on another level. Our Hockey India should arrange more exposure tours for junior players to compete against European teams regularly. Rome wasn't built in a day!
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Vikram D.
Disappointing but not unexpected. Germany at home is always tough. At least we scored - last time our juniors played them in 2019, we lost 0-8! Small improvements matter. On to the next game 💪
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Neha R.
The boys looked nervous in the first quarter itself. Maybe jet lag or pressure? Hope they settle down now that first match jitters are over. Still believe we can beat Spain and make the finals!

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