“In the end, it came down to one man between the posts, Prince Deep Singh proved that heroes are made in shootouts.”
In a heart-stopping quarterfinal at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, hosts India edged Belgium 4-3 in a shootout after the teams were locked 2-2 at full time, securing a semifinal berth against defending champions Germany in the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup 2025.
The first half belonged to Belgium. The Young Red Lions stunned the capacity crowd in the 13th minute when Gaspard Cornez-Massant hammered home a ferocious tomahawk from a tight angle to make it 1-0. Smart double- and triple-marking on Indian playmaker Roshan Kujur choked the midfield, while India wasted seven circle entries and two penalty corners without troubling the scoreboard.
Coach P.R. Sreejesh’s half-time words clearly worked wonders. India returned transformed. With just 17 seconds left in the third quarter, captain Rohit thundered a drag-flick into the top corner from a penalty corner to restore parity. Moments earlier, goalkeeper Bikramjit Singh and the Indian defence had repelled four consecutive Belgian PCs to keep the scoreline level.
The Blue Colts seized momentum in the final quarter. In the 48th minute, drag-flick specialist Sharda Nand Tiwari blasted another PC past the Belgian keeper to put India 2-1 ahead. Belgium coach Sean Dancer threw caution to the wind, pulling his goalkeeper for an extra outfield player in the dying minutes. The gamble paid off in the 59th minute when Nathan Rogge deflected a shot to force the shootout.
There, Prince Deep Singh stole the show. The Indian custodian denied two Belgian attempts while Sharda Nand Tiwari coolly converted three penalty strokes. When the final whistle blew on the shootout, India had prevailed 4-3.
Player of the Match Prince Deep Singh’s heroics under the Chennai floodlights sent the home crowd into delirium and set up a mouthwatering semifinal against four-time champions Germany. For a young Indian side that looked rattled early on, Friday night proved they can rise when it matters most.
This was more than just a quarterfinal win – it was a statement of courage, character, and sheer class from a golden generation of Indian hockey. From captain Rohit’s leadership to Sharda Nand’s thunderbolts and Prince Deep’s ice-cold nerves, every player wore the tricolor with pride and delivered a performance that will be remembered for years. India, take a bow, the future of world hockey is wearing blue tonight.
