Junior Men's Hockey WC: India to fight for bronze medal against Argentina

Chennai (Tamil Nadu) [India], December 9 (ANI): After a hard-fought campaign marked by resilience and attacking flair, the Indian junior men's hockey team will look to conclude the tournament with a medal when they take on Argentina in the 3rd/4th place match of the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 on Wednesday, December 10 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Egmore, Chennai.

India head into their last match after a tough 1-5 loss against defending champions Germany in the semifinal. Despite the setback, the hosts have shown tremendous promise throughout the tournament, delivering commanding performances in the group stage and displaying great depth in their squad. The home team has scored 32 goals in total, 29 of which came in the pool stage itself, as per a Hockey India press release.

In their quarterfinal clash, India defeated Belgium in a shootout courtesy of the heroics of Indian goalkeeper Princedeep Singh after an intense 2-2 draw.

Reflecting on the team's journey so far and areas of focus ahead of 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."

Looking ahead to the clash against Argentina, he added, "Tomorrow is a do-or-die match. The players must go out there and give their 100 per cent. Focusing on the basics will be key. There will be a big crowd who will expect us to win, but the team needs to stay in the present moment. They can draw inspiration from the senior team's Olympic experiences to see how losing a semifinal and coming back to win bronze makes a huge difference. The boys know this, and I believe they will rise to the occasion."

Argentina, meanwhile, will also be determined to secure a podium finish after their own semifinal exit against Spain. The tie was level in the fourth quarter; however, Argentina conceded a late goal in the 56th minute, which cost them a spot in the final.

Ahead of the big day, Argentina's head coach, Juan Gilardi, stated, "We have prepared for this match with professionalism and a clear desire to fight for a medal. Winning bronze would be a wonderful present for these kids. These boys train incredibly hard, they are a united group with great zeal and passion, and they make the environment enjoyable with their humour and energy. That makes it easier for us as coaches to guide them and push them towards a higher hockey level. We are happy with what we have achieved so far, but there is one more battle to go against India. Playing in a full stadium, with a huge crowd, this is something we are not going to forget." (ANI)

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