The Indian hockey team lost to six-time champions Germany 4-2 in the  FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2021 semi-finals at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

Germany - the most successful team in the history of the tournament. They looked at the more dangerous side from the start and created early chances. Max Siegburg missed a sitter in the fourth minute and seconds later, Indian goalkeeper Prashant Chauhan was called into action to divert a German penalty corner away from his goal.

India slowly started getting on the ball more but couldn't create any meaningful scoring opportunities in the first quarter.

German's performance- FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup

It was the Germans who broke the deadlock in the closing seconds of the opening quarter as another penalty corner was blocked by Prashant but Erik Kleinlein was at hand to push the rebound home.

Germany was also on the front foot in the second quarter and added to their lead in the 20th minute. After a bit of ping-pong around the India penalty circle. Philip Holzmueller's drive took a wicked deflection off an Indian defender and looped over substitute keeper Pawan.

German captain Hannes Muller made it 3-0 four minutes later with a beautifully-worked team goal.

Seconds later, though, India's Uttam Singh sparked hopes of a comeback with a nifty close-range finish but Christopher Kutter scored a penalty stroke in the very next minute to restore Germany's three-goal lead.

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Trailing 4-1 at half-time, India had a mountain to climb in the final two quarters.

India piled on the pressure to reduce the deficit in the third and fourth quarters. But the German defence stayed solid to frustrate the hosts and ensured a title clash against Argentina. Boby Dhami scored for India in the dying seconds of the match to make the final score 2-4.

India made it to the quarters after finishing second in Pool B. There they beat Belgium 1-0 to advance to the semis.

After falling behind by two goals, the Indian Junior Men's Hockey team made a brilliant comeback and entered the semi-finals of the FIH Men's Junior World Cup 2023 by defeating a strong team like Netherlands 4-3.

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The FIH Men's Junior World Cup quarter-final match between India and Netherlands, ranked third and fourth in the world rankings, was very exciting. The Dutch team was leading 2-0 till halftime but after that India made a comeback and scored four goals in the second half.

Meanwhile, Timo Boers (5th minute), Pepijn van der Heijden (16th minute) and Olivier Hortensius (44th minute) scored for Netherlands, while for India, Aditya Lalage (34th minute), Araijeet Singh Hundal (36th minute), Anand Kushwaha ( 52nd minute) and captain Uttam Singh (57th minute) scored the goals.

The Netherlands team started aggressively from the first quarter and scored a penalty corner, which Boers converted into a goal. In the very first minute of the second quarter, Van der Heijden converted the second penalty corner to give the team a 2-0 lead which remained till halftime.

India made a brilliant comeback in the third quarter, which was led by Araijeet Singh. He assisted Lalage's goal in the 34th minute and converted the penalty stroke two minutes later to level the score at 2-2.

The Dutch team again took the lead in the third quarter when Olivier converted a penalty corner. In the last ten minutes, the Indian team displayed excellent hockey and scored two goals. Kushwaha equalized the score by scoring a goal on the rebound in the 52nd minute. India got an important penalty corner in the 57th minute, on which captain Uttam Singh made no mistake in scoring the goal.

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In the last two minutes, the Dutch team tried its best to score an equalizing goal but the Indian defense remained as firm as a rock. In the last quarter, Rohit saved six consecutive penalty corners and was chosen Player of the Match for this brilliant performance.

The Indian team will play against Germany in the FIH Men's Junior World Cup semi-finals on Thursday.

Defender Amandeep Lakra is excited about earning a place to represent the country at the upcoming FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup to be held in Malaysia next month. India will start their campaign against Korea in the Pool C game on December 5.

Also Read: 'We will give added emphasis to our circle entry': Amandeep Lakra regarding the preparations for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup

Sharing his enthusiasm for the Hockey Men's Junior World Cup event, Amandeep Lakra talked about his journey as a young player and being inspired by former India captain Dr Dilip Tirkey, President of Hockey India.

Amandeep also said that he is impressed by the drag-flicking abilities of current Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh. "Watching him train closely here in SAI Bengaluru, I get to learn a lot from him and his on-field focus and style."

Talking about his initial challenges as a budding player, Amandeep Lakra said, "I faced a little bit of difficulty finding places to train, so I started training on grass with my father," he said of his early challenges as a budding player, before adding, "Then I received a call informing me that I had been invited to join the SAI Centre in Bhopal as part of the Khelo India scheme in 2020. Later, I returned to play in Nationals for Odisha and was chosen for the National Camp based on my performance." 

Amandeep Lakra played Sub Junior Nationals in Delhi in 2015 and Manipur in 2016 and made his Junior National debut for Hockey Association of Odisha at the 11th Hockey India Junior Men's National Championship in Kovilpatti, Tamil Nadu in 2021. Where he helped his team to win.

Amandeep Lakra also got a call for the junior men's national camp in 2021 and made his debut for the Indian junior men's hockey team in the 2022 Sultan of Johor Cup. Where he helped India win the gold medal. The youngster from Odisha never looked back as he represented India at the Men's Junior Asia Cup earlier this year and helped India win a historic gold medal.

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As they prepare to participate in the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2023 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Lakra also talked about the team's preparations and the mood of the team. He said, "We have had a fantastic preparatory camp. We identified chinks in our armour and worked on them to cover all aspects of our game. Each and every one of us has worked extremely hard and there's great camaraderie in the camp. I will give this tournament my all and hopefully contribute significantly to winning the Men's Junior World Cup."

Emerging forward Araijeet Singh Hundal, who has been named the vice-captain of the Indian team for the upcoming FIH Hockey Junior World Cup, is living his father's dream and believes his side has a strong chance to earn a podium finish in the prestigious tournament to be held in Kuala Lumpur from December 5 to 16.

Also Read: Hockey India names Junior Men's Team for FIH Hockey Junior World Cup 2023

In the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup, India have been placed in Pool C along with Canada, Korea and Spain and will start their campaign against Korea on December 5. While defending champions Argentina, Australia, Chile and Malaysia are in Pool A. In this 16-team tournament, Egypt, France, Germany and South Africa have been placed in Pool B while Belgium, New Zealand, Pakistan and Netherlands are in Pool D.

Araijeet Singh Hundal grew up in a family where hockey was a tradition. The Amritsar-born forward made his debut for India at the 2021 Junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar where he scored five goals in six matches and has not looked back since. Hundal was among the seven players in the 18-member squad that represented India at the 2021 Junior World Cup in Bhubaneswar. The other six members were Captain Uttam Singh, Boby Singh Dhami, Sudeep Chirmako, Vishnu Kant Singh, Sunil Jojo and Sharda Nand Tiwari.

Also Read: 'We will give added emphasis to our circle entry': Amandeep Lakra regarding the preparations for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup

Araijeet Singh Hundal will serve as captain Uttam Singh's deputy for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup which will see a total of 16 teams competing for the prestigious trophy. Arajieet says that he has learnt a lot over the past couple of years, and the team is feeling confident ahead of the upcoming tournament.

"Since the previous Junior World Cup, we have learned that we should not take any team lightly and we must give 100 percent against all teams. We have to keep pushing ourselves till the final whistle. We have learnt over the past couple of years how to handle pressure on the big stage," said Arajieet.

Hockey India announced the Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team for the upcoming FIH Hockey Junior World Cup 2023 on Tuesday. The tournament will take place from 5th December to 16th December in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Also Read: Hockey India names Indian team for FIH Women's Junior World Cup 2023

Forward Uttam Singh will lead Indian team in the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup 2023. Reigning Asian champions India have been placed in Pool C along with Canada, South Korea and Spain. India has to play its first match against Korea on December 5. India will play Spain on December 7 and Canada on December 9.

In the tournament's other pools, Pool A boasts defending Champions Argentina, along with Australia, Chile, and host nation Malaysia. Pool B includes Egypt, France, Germany, and South Africa. Pool D sets the stage for fierce competition with Belgium, Netherlands, New Zealand, and Pakistan vying for a quarter-final berth. The Quarter-Finalsof the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup 2023 are slated for 12 December, followed by the Semi-Finals on 14 December, with the grand Final taking place on 16 December. 

India had finished fourth in the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup last time and coach CR Kumar has said that this time his team is fully prepared.

The squad encompasses a talented array of players, including goalkeepers Mohith H S and Ranvijay Singh Yadav. Defenders Shardanand Tiwari, Amandeep Lakra, Rohit, Sunil JoJo, and Amir Ali have all earned their spots. The midfield is fortified by the presence of Vishnukant Singh, Poovanna C B, Rajinder Singh, Amandeep, and Aditya Singh. 

The forward line showcases the skills and talents of Uttam Singh, Aditya Lalage, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Sourabh Anand Kushwaha, Sudeep Chirmako, and Boby Singh Dhami. Additionally, defender Sukhvinder and midfielder Sunit Lakra have been named as replacement players for this prestigious event. 

Coach CR Kumar, said, "As reigning Asian champions, the prospect of showcasing our skills on the global stage fills us with immense excitement. Our track record in previous Junior Men's tournaments, yielding positive results, has instilled confidence in our abilities to compete at a higher level." 

Also Read: 'We will give added emphasis to our circle entry': Amandeep Lakra regarding the preparations for the FIH Hockey Junior World Cup

FIH Hockey Junior World Cup 2023: Indian Men's Squad

Goalkeepers:

1. Mohith H S 

2. Ranvijay Singh Yadav

Defenders:

3. Shardanand Tiwari 

4. Amandeep Lakra 

5. Rohit 

6. Sunil JoJo 

7. Amir Ali 

Midfielders:

8. Vishnukant Singh  

9. Poovanna C B 

10. Rajinder Singh 

11. Amandeep 

12. Aditya Singh 

Forwards:

13. Uttam Singh (C)

14. Aditya Lalage 

15. Araijeet Singh Hundal (VC)

16. Sourabh Anand Kushwaha 

17. Sudeep Chirmako 

18. Boby Singh Dhami

Reserve Players:

19. Sukhvinder 

20. Sunit Lakra 

Indian junior men's hockey team will begin their campaign against South Korea in Group C on the opening day of the 2023 FIH Men's Junior World Cup on December 5.

Also Read: FIH Junior Women's World Cup 2023: India's matches, schedule, venue, and timings

The FIH Junior Men's World Cup 2023 will start from December 5 to 16 at the National Hockey Stadium Bukit Jalil. The tournament was officially launched during a ceremony at the marquee event in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday.

The Indian team, which finished fourth in the last FIH Junior Men's World Cup (2021) held in Bhubaneswar, got a relatively easy draw in the group stage. According to the draw released here on Saturday, teams from Spain and Canada are in Group C apart from India and South Korea. India will face Spain on December 7 and Canada on December 9 in the group stage.

Meanwhile, hosts Malaysia are in Group A alongside defending champions Argentina, Australia, and Chile. While six-time champions Germany, France, South Africa, and Egypt are in Group B. Netherlands, Belgium, Pakistan, and New Zealand are in Group D.

The group classification based on the FIH Junior World Rankings will see 16 teams from across the world compete for the coveted title, the sport's apex body said in a press release. Each player competing in the FIH Junior Men's World Cup must be below 21 years of age in the December of the year preceding the tournament.

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India's Uttam Singh expressed confidence of doing well in the tournament. He said, "With victories at the Sultan of Johor Cup and the Junior Asia Cup, the Indian team is brimming with optimism and is confident of a podium finish at the Junior World Cup in Malaysia. The passionate Malaysian spectators add an extra level of excitement to the event, and we can't wait to go there and do our best."

India has been the FIH Junior Men's World Cup winner in 2001 and 2016. India is the third team after Germany and Argentina to have won the tournament more than once since its inception in 1979.