Chennai, December 6, 2025 - India's Junior Men's Hockey team is set to face Germany in the semifinal of the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2025, raising hopes for a significant improvement over past performances. The match is scheduled for December 7th at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai.

India reached the semifinals after a thrilling quarterfinal match against Belgium, which they won 4-3 in a shootout after a 2-2 draw. Goalkeeper Princedeep Singh played a crucial role, making important saves during both regulation time and the shootout, earning him the Player of the Match award. Sharda Nand Tiwari also stood out, converting three penalty strokes in the shootout, while Ankit Pal scored the decisive goal.

Belgium took an early lead in the quarterfinal, with Gaspard Cornez-Massant scoring a field goal in the 13th minute. India struggled to break through Belgium's defense until captain Rohit leveled the score with a dragflick in the 45th minute. Sharda Nand Tiwari then put India ahead with a penalty corner conversion in the 48th minute. However, Belgium's Nathan Rogge equalized in the 59th minute, forcing the shootout.

India had a strong showing in the pool stage, scoring 29 goals without conceding any against Chile, Oman, and Switzerland. India's last Junior World Cup title was in 2016, which they won on home soil in Lucknow.

Germany, the defending champions and seven-time titleholders, reached the semi-finals by defeating France 2-1 in a penalty shootout after their quarterfinal also ended in a 2-2 draw. Other teams competing in the semi-finals are Spain, who beat New Zealand 4-3, and Argentina, who secured a 1-0 victory against the Netherlands. Spain will face Argentina in the first semi-final.

The Junior Hockey World Cup 2025 is being held in Chennai and Madurai, featuring 24 teams for the first time.

The India vs Germany match is scheduled to begin at 8:00 PM IST on December 7th. The match will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website.