09 Dec, 2025 The quarter-finals delivered a clear picture of the tournament’s leading contenders, with the Netherlands advancing through an imposing win against England and China reaffirming their competitive strength against Australia thanks to a hat-trick from Wang Lihang, one of the standout names of the event. Belgium also secured their spot among the top four after overcoming the United States with a consistent display, in a phase where tempo, efficiency and tactical adjustment clearly separated the teams still in contention from those who fell short. The day reached its peak with Argentina’s victory over Germany, the tightest and most dramatic match of the quarter-finals, decided only in the final quarter through Lara Casas’s instinctive touch for the 2-1 winner. In parallel, the Challenger Trophy maintained its competitive flow with two rhythm-heavy classification matches that featured shoot-outs, individual performances of note and a continued global spread of styles in the battle for positions 17–24. The semi-finals arrive on Wednesday, a decisive stage that promises high-level hockey and an ideal scenario to follow the four teams still dreaming of the title in Santiago. Below is the full breakdown of all matches on Day 5 in Santiago. Canada vs Malaysia (Full-Time Score: 3-3, SO: 5-3) Canada opened the Challenger Trophy action in the 17–24 bracket with sustained offensive rhythm from the first quarter, in a match shaped by frequent set-piece involvement and constant circulation on the water-based surface. Malaysia struck first after just 28 seconds with a field goal from Mohd Nur, while Canada responded through circle penetrations and five consecutive penalty corners that produced the 1-1 equaliser from Kenzie Girgis. In the second quarter, Zawiatul Hartomo restored Malaysia’s lead with a clean drag-flick from their first successful penalty corner, before Nicole Poulakis levelled once more from another set piece to close the half at 2-2. After the restart, Malaysia moved ahead 3-2 through a right-flank progression finished by Azmyra Azhairy. Canada maintained possession in opposition territory through structured pressing and controlled outlets, sustaining their offensive volume from the set piece. In the closing stages, Canada earned eight consecutive penalty corners and managed possession with patience, regaining the ball quickly after each turnover. With 44 seconds remaining, Poulakis converted her second penalty corner for the 3-3 that sent the match to shoot-outs. Canada converted all five attempts, while Malaysia missed one, sealing the 5-3 result. Despite the defeat, Malaysia’s Player of the Match Azmyra Azhairy said, “I tried to fight with my team, they gave their effort and they gave us something important out there.”   Scotland vs Namibia (Full-Time Score: 4-0) Scotland established territorial control from the outset on the water-based surface, producing five circle penetrations and two penalty corners in the first quarter. The opener arrived in the 5th minute, when Mhairi Low finished a well-executed set-play sequence for 1-0, beginning a performance that would later deliver her hat-trick. Namibia held a compact block to avoid major damage but struggled to generate sustained attacking presence. The second quarter unfolded with moderate rhythm, influenced by a green card shown to Maryke Kruger around the 27th minute, while Scotland maintained possession without increasing the margin. After half-time, Scotland intensified their pressure and extended the lead to 2-0 with Low’s second goal near the 40th minute, finishing an interior combination inside the circle. Namibia attempted isolated transitions but failed to convert from the set piece, missing all four penalty corners in the final phase. Late in the match, Lexie Macmillan added the 3-0 around the 54th minute from a short corner, and Low completed her hat-trick shortly afterwards, sealing a controlled and defensively solid win. Player of the Match Mhairi Low said, “I think we worked really well as a team today; in the last matches we struggled to score, so it was important to get four goals and regain confidence, hopefully we can keep this going in the coming games.” Netherlands vs England (Full-Time Score: 8-2)   The Netherlands, one of the tournament’s strongest title contenders, opened the quarter-finals by reaffirming their credentials through fast circulation, wide attacking patterns and full control of the match tempo. They took the lead through Kaatje Walhof after a spell of high pressing and immediate recoveries. England responded with defensive order and equalised through a penalty stroke converted by Biba Mills, but Iris de Kemp restored the Dutch lead before half-time in a phase where the Netherlands accumulated 19 circle penetrations. The third quarter broke the match open, with a Dutch surge combining rapid recoveries, sustained width and clinical finishing inside the circle. Moes extended the advantage, Walhof added her second and de Kemp completed her hat-trick within minutes, capitalising on spaces behind the English defensive line. England reduced the margin through a penalty corner from Beth Gardens, but the Netherlands struck again through Katerina Langedijk to seal the 8-2 and advance with authority. The standout performances came from de Kemp with a hat-trick and Walhof with a brace. Player of the Match Iris de Kemp said, “I’m very excited about this win, I’m very proud of the team, we worked really hard and trust each other a lot, when we play with speed on the pitch we score many goals, that was the key today, and now we need everyone’s support for the semi-finals.” United States vs Belgium (Full-Time Score: 1-4) Belgium opened their quarter-final with immediate territorial control, moving the ball at pace on the synthetic surface and generating sustained presence inside the opposition’s 23m area. After two minutes, Alexi Van Remortel made it 1-0 with a field goal following a high regain. The United States responded with controlled outlets and three penalty corners in the second quarter, but could not beat Belgium’s compact defence. Belgium managed the rhythm confidently before half-time, maintaining eight circle entries and a solid defensive structure against the American attempts to progress through interior lanes. In the third quarter, Belgium extended the lead through a high-production spell: Perrine de Clerck scored from a penalty corner, Famke Van Heel

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08 Dec, 2025 Bangladesh finished their FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 campaign with a win, with the headline being their victory clinching the inaugural Challenger Trophy, introduced by the FIH president Tayyab Ikram as an incentive for the 17-24 place playoffs. Bangladesh’s first ever title of global significance came via an impressive win over Austria, led by their goal-scoring machine Amirul Islam who scored another hat-trick – as Madurai hosted its last four matches of the tournament on Monday. Here’s an account of how the games unfolded: Namibia vs Oman (Full-Time Score: 4-2) Namibia signed off from the tournament with a win in the 23/24 place classification match defeating Oman 4-2 on the concluding day of the competition in Madurai. Namibia led at the halfway mark after Josh van der Merwe equalised in the 19thminute to negate Oman’s 1-0 lead – courtesy Maitham Al Wahaibi’s penalty-corner conversion in the first quarter. Gerhard Myburgh’s 22nd minute goal then put Namibia ahead 2-1. After the third quarter failed to produce any goals, it was Oman’s turn to restore parity at 2-2, when Alhussin Al Hasni produced a penalty-corner conversion in the 48thminute. With the game hanging in the balance in the last 12 minutes, Namibia not just held their nerves better but also managed to break the deadlock in the 55thminute off a PC and then sealed the game at 4-2 with a field goal in the 60th– credit to the skills of John-Paul Britz and Ludwig van Rooyen, respectively. “It was the first time ever that Namibia played in a World Cup amongst the best (teams). It’s a big experience for us. As long as you learn, you achieve something…I am very proud of the boys; I think they did a great job, managing to win two games in a tournament like this,” said Namibia coach Johann Weyhe. Canada vs Egypt [Full-Time Score: 2-2 (2-3 SO)] A shootout decided the 21/22 positions, with Canada and Egypt fighting it out in a tight contest that couldn’t be decided in the regulation 60 minutes, which ended at 2-2. The Egyptians then prevailed in the shootout 3-2 to finish in the 21stposition. Robin Thind’s brace for Canada brought them back from 0-2 down, after Egypt dominated proceedings in the first two quarters. Basel Abdelmonem put Egypt ahead in the 3rdminute and then scored his second goal in the 38thminute to add a cushion. Canada regrouped towards the end of the third quarter, coming back through Thind’s penalty-corner goals in the 43rdand 45thminutes. But his effort went in vain, with Egypt claiming victory by clinching the tiebreaking shootout 3-2. Mohab Hegab, Ahmed Fouda and Abdelrahman Kasem beat the Canadian goalkeeper Stanley Cooke in the shootout, while only Robin Thind and Lucas Aardenburg could go past the Egypt custodian Ebraheem Arafaat. Egypt team manager Anis Khaled reflected on the game afterwards. “We finished number 21. We hoped to get the best possible place, but we know our problems. It was a tough group at the beginning of the tournament with Belgium and Spain. Also, 90% of our players are under 18, so it will give us experience for the next tournament,” he said. China vs Korea (Full-Time Score: 4-5) The all-Asian face-off for the 19/20 positions produced a goal-fest that was dominated by Korea, before China threatened late in the final quarter through Li Pengfei’s hat-trick before running out of time to lose 4-5 and finish 20thin the competition. Korea looked to be running away with the match having taken a 2-0 lead in the first quarter, with the in-form Minhyeok Lee scoring in the first minute with PC. He added a second to his name in the 13ththminute off another short corner for Korea’s 2-0 lead in the first quarter. The Koreans entered the half-time break with a comfortable 3-0 lead, as Jaewon Park increased the margin in the 20thminute. China’s Li got his team on the board to cut the lead to 1-3 in the 34thminute but Donggeon Kim restoredKorea’s three-goal margin three minutes later at 4-1, only to see China earning a penalty stroke in the next 60 seconds, converted by Li to pull another goal back. Korea began the final 15 minutes by adding another cushion for a 5-2 lead through Gyeonghu Lee in the 48thminute. Just when it looked the game was beyond China to chase, Di Yanwei’s 56th-minute strike made it 5-3 and though Li followed up to complete his hat-trick, it came only in the 60thminute to give Korea a 5-4 victory. “We knew today’s game was the last for us in this tournament. I just want to thank the audience and our coaching staff,” said Korea’s Jaewon Park. Austria vs Bangladesh (Full-Time Score: 4-5) The star of Bangladesh in this Junior World Cup, Amirul Islam, produced another grand show to help his team clinch the Challenger Trophy with 5-4 win over Austria in the 17/18 position playoff. A goal off a penalty corner for the drag-flick star Amirul and two penalty-stroke conversions put him firmly on top of the goal-scorer’s list with 18 goals – as Amirul, Hozifa Hussain and Rakibul Hasan ensured Bangladesh went ahead 3-0 by the 35thminute. Austria kept trying to claw back into the game, by first making it 1-3 through Andor Losonci and then reducing it to 4-2 in the 51stminute. But Amirul’s hat-trick goal a minute later gave Bangladesh the breathing space they needed to see off the remaining 8 minutes. However, Austria refused to give up without a fight and scored through Julian Kaiser (57th) and Mateusz Nyckowiak (59th) to give Bangladesh the jitters but they held on to win and take home the Challenger Trophy. “It means a lot to the boys. Today we were too tense because of what was at stake and didn’t play a good match. That’s actually something good because we need to learn to play the finals as well. This time we were not the underdogs…For us it’s a very

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08 Dec, 2025 The opening day of the Classification Phase in Santiago delivered a varied storyline, ranging from dramatic finishes to dominant attacking displays. Uruguay began the day with a thrilling comeback sealed in the shoot-outs, Japan proved sharper than Korea from the spot, New Zealand produced their highest scoring output of the tournament with doubles from Greer Findlay and Pho Riana, Spain controlled their match to secure a 3–0 win, and India reaffirmed their intention to fight for ninth place. Chile, in one of the moments most warmly received by the home crowd, signed off a 6–1 victory featuring a double from Laura Müller and a high-flow offensive performance. With all match-ups confirmed, the battle for the world title will begin on Monday as the top eight teams enter the quarter-final stage: the Netherlands will open against England, the United States meet Belgium, Australia take on China and Germany close the programme against Argentina. In parallel, the Challenger Trophy will continue to take shape with two defining fixtures that will help determine the final structure of the competition. Below is a full look back at everything that happened on the first day of the Classification Phase in Chile. Uruguay vs South Africa (Full-Time Score: 1–1) (SO: 3-1) The opening match of the 9–16 Classification Phase saw Uruguay and South Africa contest a tightly balanced encounter on the synthetic surface of the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped at the Estadio Nacional. After a scoreless first half, during which Uruguay generated six penalty corners and South Africa responded with circle entries and two PCs of their own, neither side managed to break the defensive structure of the other. Uruguay increased their offensive traffic in the third quarter, repeatedly threatening from set pieces and circle penetrations, while South Africa held firm to keep the match level. In the fourth quarter, South Africa struck first with a field goal from Jodie Blows in the 47th minute, capitalising on a deep circle penetration. Despite receiving green and yellow cards in the closing stages, Uruguay maintained controlled build-up and continued pressing high, generating four more penalty corners until Carolina Curcio equalised 1–1 from a set piece in the 57th minute. With both teams protecting their 23m area in the final moments, the match moved to shoot-outs, where Uruguay converted three of their five attempts against one from their rivals to advance to the next stage. María Rodríguez, who scored the decisive shoot-out, said, “It was a very tough match, without doubt not our best performance but I’m really happy we managed to turn it around at the end, equalise it and win it in the shoot-outs, now we need to recover for what’s coming and try to leave Uruguay as high as possible”. Japan vs Korea (Full-Time Score: 2–2) (SO: 4-3) Japan and Korea delivered a balanced match in the 9–16 bracket, with a goalless first quarter in which Japan produced the better attacking volume and the first penalty corner of the game. Korea opened the scoring in the second quarter through a field goal by Lee Sugyeong in the 17th minute, but Japan equalised at 1–1 in the 27th minute when Ohtsuka Minami converted a penalty corner following sustained attacking movement. The first half ended without cards and with both sides alternating possession. After the break, Japan regained territorial control in the third quarter, earned two more penalty corners and took a 2–1 lead when Saito Hanami converted in the 42nd minute. Korea held a compact block and looked for aerial outlets under pressure, finally equalising 2–2 in the 59th minute through Hong Solbeotnara from a set piece. With both teams prioritising defensive organisation in the closing seconds, the match advanced to shoot-outs, where Ai Hiramitsu scored the decisive attempt to seal Japan’s progression. Japan’s Maruyama Niko told Watch.Hockey after the match, “the match against the Koreans was very tough, we are very happy to go through to the next round”. New Zealand vs Austria (Full-Time Score: 7–2) New Zealand took control from the outset, opening the scoring in the 7th minute through Pho Riana after an early circle penetration. The second quarter brought sustained attacking flow, with three goals from Surridge (17′), Emma Findlay (21′) and Pho again from a penalty corner in the 25th minute. Austria responded in the 19th minute through Haselsteiner from a well-executed set piece that reduced the margin temporarily. After half-time, New Zealand kept high possession, attacked through both channels and added three more goals: two consecutive strikes from Greer Findlay in the 33rd and 36th minutes — one from a set piece — and the 7–1 from McKenzie in the 41st minute, also from a penalty corner. Austria pulled one back in the fourth quarter with a penalty corner goal from Marie Pelz in the 54th minute, while New Zealand managed their defensive structure and controlled the rhythm until the end, securing a result that keeps them firmly in the Challenger Trophy race. Player of the Match Greer Findlay said afterwards, “I’m really happy to score again; we’ve been working hard for this and it felt good to find our rhythm on the surface today”. Spain vs Ireland (Full-Time Score: 3–0) Spain entered with determination and high tempo from the first whistle, applying immediate pressure inside Ireland’s 23m and producing eight circle penetrations within the opening ten minutes. Marta Armenteras broke the deadlock in the 6th minute following a move down the left, and Marta Alcaraz doubled the lead two minutes later by capitalising on a rebound. Spain maintained strong territorial control into the second quarter, earning five consecutive penalty corners but unable to extend the score before half-time. After the break, Spain continued to dominate in the third quarter, accumulating eleven circle penetrations before Alcaraz scored her second goal of the match in the 40th minute after sustained pressure around the circle edge. Ireland held a deep defensive block to prevent further damage and sought long outlets to generate counterattacks, but Spain managed possession effectively

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Dec 7, 2025 South Africa faced Uruguay with a golden opportunity to secure a place in the top twelve and immediately improve on their thirteenth place finish from two years ago. It was a tense and gripping contest that ended one all in regulation time before Uruguay edged the shootout to deny South Africa the step forward they were chasing. The early chance of the match fell to Teshawn de la Rey who broke through the defensive line but could not convert. From that moment it became clear that this was going to be a cagey and evenly matched battle. Genuine opportunities were scarce and it often felt like the first goal would decide everything. There were no goals at the end of the first, second or third quarters although the South Africans were growing in belief with every passage of play. Uruguay however matched that confidence with their own determination and it set the stage for a tense final quarter. It was the African champions who finally broke the deadlock. Paris Gail Isaacs had a superb game and produced a wonderful threaded pass for Jodie Blows who finished brilliantly with a neat deflection. South Africa were closing in on a famous win but with time slipping away they conceded a late penalty corner. The defence got a touch on the strike but the ball popped across perfectly for Curcio who pounced to equalise and send the match to a shootout. The shootout itself was a rollercoaster. Richele Norval set the tone with a save on the first attempt but Ane Janse van Vuuren saw her effort denied immediately after. Taheera Augousti kept South Africa level in the second round before both teams missed their third attempts. The pivotal moment arrived in round four when Teshawn de la Rey slipped mid attempt and Uruguay capitalised by scoring their effort. Rodriguez then stepped up and calmly slotted the winner to send Uruguay into the top twelve. South Africa will now turn their attention to the thirteen to sixteen playoff bracket where they will fight to finish as high as possible. Source: SAHockey.co.za

07 Dec, 2025 A first-time finalist, a team now eyeing it’s eighth title, and two sides with broken hearts – that was the story of the semi-finals day at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in Chennai on Sunday. In other words, Spain entered their maiden final, defending champions Germany made it to their 10thtitle match and the hopes of a third trophy for India and Argentina ended. The two semi-finals had contrasting scripts, where Spain had to fight it out before edging Argentina 2-1 and Germany dominated India in a one-sided 5-1 victory. The day also saw Belgium and Netherlands registering wins in their quest for a fifth-place finish. Here’s a lowdown on the proceedings from the four action-packed encounters: Belgium vs France (Full-Time Score: 3-2) Looking to put their quarter-final defeats behind, European neighbours Belgium and France began their quest for finishing as high as possible in the 5/8-position playoffs, and the desperation to win showed in the nature of the battle, which was fierce, at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai. Belgium had lost their quarter-final to India in a dramatic shootout, while France too tested defending champions Germany in their last-eight match but ended up on the losing side in the shootout. The caginess of the two teams kept the game goalless in the first quarter. Once settled, both the teams executed their plans better, resulting in two goals in the next 15 minutes. France were the first to get on the board, when James Liddiard produced a clinical finish to put his team ahead in the 22ndminute. Belgium responded almost immediately, equalising through Mathis Lauwers four minutes later. It remained 1-1 at the half-time hooter. France restored their lead, this time off a penalty corner, which Tassilo Sura converted in the 35thminute. France protected their 2-1 lead for the next 10 minutes to stay in front during the last two-minute quarter break. It was still anybody’s game in the final quarter with just one goal separating the two teams. But it didn’t take long for the Belgians to make things even. Maximilian Langer scored the goal that made it 2-2 in the 46thminute, setting up a thrilling climax. While it looked the game had more than one goal in it in the remaining time, it produced just one; and it was Belgium who cut through the French defence to create a penalty corner in the 58thminute and scored the winning goal through Hugo Labouchere to win 3-2. “It was very important for us to bounce back and win this game. It’s never easy and today we showed what we are made of,” said Belgium captain Lucas Balthazar. “We played a really good game against India (in the quarter-final), lost it in the shootout and now we are playing for fifth place. Even if we didn’t play our best game today, it was important to win and bounce back.” New Zealand vs Netherlands (Full-Time Score: 3-6) Netherlands lived up to their potential to put the disappointment of quarter-final defeat against Argentina behind and went past New Zealand 6-3 in their 5/8 placement match in Chennai. New Zealand, who had fought valiantly before losing to Spain in the quarter-final, were the clear-second best against the Dutch, who dictated the majority of the game, led by their in-form striker and captain Casper van der Veen’s hat-trick. That took van der Veen’s tally of tournament goals to 9 – behind the leading scorer Amirul Islam of Bangladesh with 15 goals. The Blacks Sticks had the hero of their own in Jonty Elmes, who also scored a hat-trick and took his count of goals to 9 as well; but the way Netherlands began and kept consolidating their lead through the match, Elmes’s effort proved futile. The Dutch strikers began like a force in a hurry to put the game beyond the New Zealanders. Three goals in the first eight minutes – two from van der Veen and one from Peppe Veen – put the Black Sticks in chasing mode. While Elmes cut that lead to 3-1 in the 18thminute, the Orange army added two more goals for an overwhelming 5-1 lead. Jan van’t Land provided the finishing touch to a field goal and Joppe Wolbert converted a penalty stroke. Elmes kept fighting for New Zealand – producing his second goal a minute before half time to reduce the Dutch lead to 5-2. Van der Veen completed his hat-trick in the 36thminute to swell Netherlands’s lead to 6-2, and while the tempo of the game could have produced many more goals in the last two quarters, the next 22 minutes only produced close misses. Even as Elmes struck for the third time in the 59thminute, the writing was on the wall for New Zealand, who lost 6-3. “I think I enjoyed scoring the last one (goal). It was high, backhand, out of (thin) air. So I am really happy with that,” said Netherlands captain van der Veen after the match. First Semi-final: Spain vs Argentina (Full-Time Score: 2-1) Spain scripted history on the Chennai turf, entering their first ever FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup final as they eked out a 2-1 win to knock over two-time champions Argentina. Spain’s tactics to exert early pressure yielded immediate results, as a ricochet during a 7th-minute penalty-corner set-piece fell at the stick of Mario Mena who made no mistake in putting his team ahead 1-0. The two sides kept exchanging blows, including near misses, until the 21stminute when Argentina finally converted a penalty corner through Juan Fernandez to bring the game on an even keel. It remained 1-1 at the half-time hooter. The story of so-near-yet-so-far continued for Argentina in the goal-less third quarter, and better part of the fourth, while they had their chances both on field plays as well as set pieces. The game went on tenterhooks as the clock started racing during the last 10 minutes of the match. Spain too had their fair share of chances

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