Indian Jr Men’s Hockey Team Starts 4-Nation Tournament With 1-7 Loss To Hosts Germany

Indian jr men’s hockey team starts 4-Nation Tournament with 1-7 loss to hosts Germany (Image Source: IANS)

Alec Von Schwerin: 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.

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.

Article Source: IANS