India edges Belgium in shootout thriller to enter semis Germany up next
Princedeep Singh’s heroics and Sharda Nand Tiwari’s precision power India to a 2-2 (4-3 SO) thriller in Chennai
India, Dec 06 : A resilient Indian junior men’s hockey team produced a stunning performance to defeat Belgium 2-2 (4-3 SO) in a high-voltage quarterfinal at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 in Chennai on Friday, securing a semifinal berth against seven time champions Germany.
Princedeep Singh emerged as India’s standout performer, delivering exceptional saves in the shootout that evoked glimpses of his mentor and former India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. His brilliance extended to regulation time as well, particularly in the third quarter when Belgium earned consecutive penalty corners. His consistency earned him the Player of the Match award.
“Have learnt a lot from Sreejesh… confidence is up watching him and learning from him. The crowd support in Chennai has been incredible,” Princedeep said after the win.
Sharda Nand Tiwari was equally pivotal, converting three penalty strokes in the tiebreaker to keep India alive. Ankit Pal netted the decisive goal in the shootout, sealing India’s 4-3 win.
Belgium struck first through Gaspard Cornez-Massant in the 13th minute, and their strong defensive structure denied India clear opportunities in the second quarter. India finally broke through in the 45th minute when captain Rohit scored a superb dragflick to level the score at 1-1.
India briefly took the lead at 2-1 thanks to a well executed PC by Sharda Nand Tiwari in the 48th minute, triggering celebrations across the Egmore stadium. However, Belgium forced a tense finish when Nathan Rogge equalised in the 59th minute.
With momentum swinging wildly, the match headed into a shootout where India held their nerve.
India will now face Germany in the semifinal on December 7, aiming to continue their spirited run in the tournament.
