Brief by Shorts91 Newsdesk / 06:32pm on 05 Dec 2025,Friday Sports
India's junior men's hockey team defeated Belgium 2-2 (4-3) in a thrilling penalty shootout quarter-final at the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup in Chennai. Goalkeeper Princedeep Singh was Player-of-the-Match with crucial saves reminiscent of coach PR Sreejesh's style. Captain Rohit equalized in the 45th minute, while Sharda Nand Tiwari put India ahead 2-1 before Belgium's Nathan Rogge forced the shootout. Tiwari scored thrice in the shootout; Ankit Pal netted the winner. India faces seven-time defending champions Germany in Sunday's semi-final. Meanwhile, India's junior women's team dominated Ireland 4-0 in Pool C, with Purnima Yadav scoring twice. India awaits Saturday's results to confirm quarter-final qualification. (PC: HT)
