After storming through Pool B with overwhelming dominance — scoring 29 goals without conceding a single one — India now enters the knockout stage of the FIH Men’s Junior Hockey World Cup 2025 knowing the real battle begins on Friday.
The host nation faces a formidable Belgium side in the quarterfinals at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai, a stage where any misstep could abruptly end its pursuit of a historic home-title run last achieved in 2016.
Despite India’s flawless pool performance against relatively weaker opponents in Chile, Oman and Switzerland, coach PR Sreejesh has stressed that past success offers no guarantees. He has repeatedly reminded his players that the intensity and calibre of opposition will spike from this point onward.
“From the next match onwards, the real tournament is starting,” Sreejesh cautioned, underscoring the importance of converting circle entries into goals or penalty corners and the urgent need to “tighten our defence” to avoid conceding unnecessary set-piece opportunities.
India’s forward line has been in irresistible form, with Dilraj Singh (six goals) and Manmeet Singh (five) leading a potent attack. Rosan Kujur has anchored a disciplined midfield that has controlled the rhythm of all three pool games. Yet concerns remain, especially around penalty corner execution — a recurring issue that could prove costly against stronger opponents.
Although Sharda Nand Tiwari scored twice from set pieces in the final pool game, Sreejesh expects far sharper finishing from specialists Rohit and Anmol Ekka when facing Belgium’s robust defensive setup.
Belgium, entering the knockout stage as Pool D runner-up to Spain, is widely regarded as one of the tournament’s most threatening offensive teams. The Young Red Lions scored 22 goals in the group stage, an evenly balanced mix of field goals and penalty corner strikes, making them a multifaceted attacking force India cannot afford to underestimate.
This matchup will present the first real examination for India’s defence, which has so far enjoyed largely stress-free outings. The 5-0 win over Switzerland did, however, require goalkeepers Prince Deep Singh and Bikramjit Singh to make crucial stops to preserve the team’s perfect defensive record. Captain Rohit, along with Talem Priyobarta and Amir Ali, will be central to maintaining structural discipline and resisting Belgium’s pressure, particularly during penalty corner situations.
Elsewhere in the quarterfinals, Spain meets New Zealand, France faces Germany in a rematch of the previous edition’s final, and the Netherlands will take on Argentina as the tournament’s knockout rounds promise a high-intensity weekend of hockey.
