The junior
Hockey Men’s Jr WC: Boys Know Losing Semis And Coming Back To Win Bronze Makes Huge Difference, Says PR Sreejesh
India enter their final match following a tough 1–5 defeat against defending champions Germany in the semifinal. Despite the loss, the hosts have demonstrated strong potential throughout the tournament, with impressive performances in the group stage and notable depth in their squad. They have scored a total of 32 goals, 29 of which were scored during the pool stage. In the quarterfinals, India beat Belgium in a shootout thanks to goalkeeper Princedeep Singh's heroics after an exciting 2-2 draw.
Reflecting on the team’s journey so far and the key areas to focus on before the high-stakes encounter, Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team Head Coach PR Sreejesh said, “We have played well throughout the tournament except in the semifinal, where conceding easy goals in the first quarter put us under tremendous pressure. For us, the most important thing is to look into ourselves and understand our strengths, reduce errors, and make sure we convert our opportunities into goals. In tournaments like this, especially knockout games, scoreboard pressure is crucial. We need to ensure we don't concede early and create scoring chances right from the first quarter and put ourselves in a comfortable position to build our game.”
