02 Dec, 2025 The pool stage at theFIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025concluded on Day 5 – confirming the eight quarter-finalists. Six pool toppers: Germany, India, Argentina, Spain, Netherlands, France and two best second-placed teams: New Zealand and Belgium entered the last-eight stage, which will be played on 5 December. Here’s how the action unfolded on Tuesday in Madurai and Chennai. Spain vs Namibia (Full-Time Score: 13-0) The first match on Day 5 unfolded on expected lines, with Spain blanking Namibia 13-0 in Madurai to take their unbeaten run to three matches and secure a spot in the quarter-finals by virtue of assuring themselves a top-place finish in Pool D. The result ended Namibia’s thin quarter-final hopes. They finished third with three points. Bruno Avila’s hat-trick (four goals) led Spain’s goal spree, whereas Andres Medina and Josep Martin added a brace each. Albert Serrahima, Nicolas Mustaros, Ton Moran, Aleix Bozal and Pere Amat completed the rout. “I think that this match was really, really important because it’s going to matter for the quarterfinals (qualification). I think we played very well as we scored a lot of goals,” said Spain captain Pablo Roman. “We had a lot of circle penetrations and I think that is an important thing as we enter the quarter-finals in the best way possible. Now we have to go to Chennai after a rest day and prepare for the quarters as best as we can.” Egypt vs Belgium (Full-Time Score: 0-10) Belgium did the best they could, which was scoring big, and humbled Egypt 10-0 in the last match of Pool D. However, their six points from two wins in three matches were good only for a second place in the pool, while Spain secured the top spot for direct qualification. The result put Belgium on the waiting list as only two best second-placed teams among the six groups will enter the quarter-finals. The defeat was Egypt’s third in a row. Belgium’s attacking prowess showcased not just in the 10 goals they scored, but also in the 19 penalty corners they earned. But they could convert only four of those, which would disappoint them. Lucas Balthazar scored off two of those penalty corners, while Benjamin Thiery and Hugo Labouchere converted one each. But leading the charts for Belgium was Maximilian Langer, who finished with a hat-trick. Jean Cloetens, Marin van Heel and Mathias Francois also got their names on the scoring sheet. To get an extra man in the attack for more goals while targeting a big margin of victory, Belgium came up with an adventurous move to play without a goalkeeper after the first quarter itself. But it didn’t pay off in the manner they would have liked. “We created a lot of chances and showed the perfect mentality to play this game. So, I am really proud of my guys. But I think we could have scored way more goals,” Belgium captain Balthazar analysed. “The last game against Spain didn’t go as we wanted, but we bounced back today.” Chile vs Oman (Full-Time Score: 2-0) The inconsequential rain-hit Pool B game at Chennai’s Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium saw Chile restoring some pride as they ended their pool engagements on a winning note against Oman, who lost all three matches to finish last. Chile ended at the third position. Both of Chile’s goals came off penalty corners, with Felipe Duisberg striking first in the 10thminute. Oman did well to hold Chile’s attack thereafter, as the game didn’t see any goals until the final quarter when Tomas Taborga extended Chile’s lead in the 47thminute. “It was a tough match. The pitch had too much water (because of rain) and it was difficult to pass the ball. But I think we did a great job. We knew this match would be difficult due to weather conditions and we had trained accordingly, using high balls (aerials),” said Chile captain Felipe Richard. Netherlands vs Austria (Full-Time Score: 11-0) The Netherlands helped themselves to a comprehensive 11-0 win over Austria in Madurai to round off their pool fixtures and bag direct qualification to the last-eight stage as Pool E toppers with nine points from three wins in three matches. Austria, who failed to win even a single match, finished last in the pool and will now contest in the classification games. In-form Dutch skipper Casper van der Veen led the goal-fest with a hat-trick and Finn van Bijnen added two goals. The other six strikes came off the sticks of Casper Hafkamp, Joppe Wolbert, Thies Bakker, Jens de Vuijst, Pepijn van der Valk and Jan van’t Land. “We are very happy as we won three times in the group stage. Now we have to step our level up a little bit more and see what we can do in the quarterfinals…The focus is on performing well and playing better than the game before,” Netherlands’ captain Casper van der Veen shared his thoughts after the match. France vs Bangladesh (Full-Time Score: 3-2) France, who had handed Australia an 8-3 drubbing, were given a stiff challenge by a spirited Bangladesh team before the last year’s finalists managed to hang on to a 3-2 win to top Pool F with their third win and entered the quarter-finals. Bangladesh, with just one point from three matches, finished third. France were awarded a penalty stroke in the seventh minute, and Tom Gaillard beat the Bangladesh goalkeeper to give his team a 1-0 lead. Putting up tough resistance thereafter, Bangladesh found the equaliser in the 28thminute through Mohammad Abdullah to take the game to half-time tied at 1-1. But France rediscovered their touch after the break, scoring through Gabin Lorrazuri in the 32ndminute and James Liddiard in the 38thto take a 3-1 lead. Bangladesh’s resilience paid off in the 55thminute, when they earned a penalty corner and their star drag-flicker Amirul Islam scored off it to cut the lead to 3-2. But the French defence held firm in the closing minutes to secure

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Dec 2, 2025 South Africa began their FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup campaign with a confident four one victory over Austria in their opening match. It is the nations ninth appearance at the event and their first ever meeting with Austria at this level which added an extra layer of anticipation to the start of the tournament. With England and China also in the pool both teams understood how important a positive start would be. South Africa settled quickly when Leah du Plessis ran onto a brilliant through ball showed wonderful patience to round the keeper and calmly rolled the ball into the back of the net. The South African Olympians Mokoena Augousti and Isaacs were in complete control of the tempo and looked dangerous throughout. Ntsopa Mokoena then produced a moment of total composure as she doubled the lead after being given far too much space. She picked her spot and finished with confidence. Austria pulled one back through their experienced captain Katharina Proksch just before the break to keep the contest alive. The second half asked more of the South Africans as they collected two green cards and a yellow which meant long periods of playing with fewer numbers. Even so they found the next big moment. Du Plessis stepped up again with a superb penalty corner strike that rattled into the backboard to extend the lead. In the final quarter South Africa completed the remaining time on the yellow card and almost immediately created another opportunity. Augousti slipped a sublime ball through to Mokoena whose first shot was brilliantly saved but she reacted instantly and hammered the rebound home on the reverse side. It was a composed and impressive start for the young South Africans who will now turn their attention to England in forty eight hours as the pool begins to take shape. Source: SAHockey.co.za

02 Dec, 2025 The opening day of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup City of Santiago 2025 delivered a high-scoring start and several standout performances. Defending champions the Netherlands set the tone for the tournament with a commanding 10-0 win over hosts Chile, driven by an exceptional display from their captain, Noor van den Nieuwenhof, who scored four goals. India also produced an impressive attacking performance in their 13-0 victory over Namibia, while Germany began their campaign with a solid 7-1 win against Ireland. Uruguay featured in the day’s tightest match, edging Korea 3-2 with a decisive penalty in the final quarter. Japan controlled their encounter and defeated Malaysia 4-1, and the United States closed the day with a convincing 5-2 win over New Zealand, led by their captain and Player of the Match, Alaina McVeigh. We take a look at all six matches played on the opening day in Santiago. Germany vs Ireland (Full-Time Score: 7-1) Germany took control from the outset on the synthetic turf of the Estadio Nacional, setting a strong tempo in the first quarter and capitalising on their early circle entries. The goals came quickly: Schönhoff opened the scoring in the 3rd minute and Frerichs extended the lead in the 6th after a sequence of penalty corners. The second quarter followed the same pattern, with a high offensive structure and efficient ball circulation, adding goals from Haid and Krings to make it 4-0 at half-time. After the restart, Germany managed the match with territorial control, stretching the margin through another goal from Frerichs and later from Reisenegger and Becker in the final stages. Ireland pulled one back five minutes from time through a penalty corner executed by Rebekah Lennon, but were unable to alter the overall balance of the match, with Germany maintaining a high press and defending their 23m with discipline. Germany’s captain, Julia Schedl, said, “I’m very proud of the team; we did a great job, we scored the goals we wanted and a 7-1 result is a very good score. I think we should just keep going like that.” India vs Namibia (Full-Time Score: 13-0) India imposed their game immediately on the blue turf of the Estadio Nacional, establishing a high tempo and a deep attacking structure that quickly led to circle penetrations. The opener came in the 6th minute through Siwach Kanika, followed by a sustained surge that left Namibia struggling to reorganise defensively. India controlled possession, maintained a high press and finished the first half with quick triangulations that widened the gap before the break. The second half followed the same pattern: territorial dominance, continuous circulation and efficiency in the attacking zone. India kept finding space through constant rotations in the final third, with attacks down both flanks and an offensive volume that left Namibia without answers. Goalkeeper Nidhi, rarely called into action, supported the defensive structure as India continued adding goals until the final 13-0 scoreline. Player of the Match Siwach Kanika said, “It was a great start, it felt like a World Cup first match – a good beginning, but we expect much more from ourselves. The key is teamwork and staying together; that’s how we are scoring.” Korea vs Uruguay (Full-Time Score: 2-3) Korea and Uruguay played a tightly contested match on the synthetic turf of the Estadio Nacional, with both sides seeking territorial control from the opening minutes. After a closed first half, the scoring began in the third quarter: Haidukowski put Uruguay ahead in the 30th minute, with Korea levelling three minutes later through a penalty corner converted by Lee Sugyeong. The Asian team’s penalty corner count increased towards the end of the quarter, creating repeated sequences inside the circle. In the final quarter, Uruguay regained the lead in the 48th minute with a penalty stroke converted by Chiara Curcio, forcing Korea to push forward and apply late pressure. Korea earned a series of consecutive penalty corners in the final minute, a situation Uruguay defended with a compact block before Joo Soyeon scored Korea’s second from a set play. Managing those final seconds secured the 3-2 win. Player of the Match María Rodríguez said, “It was a tough game. Korea were a difficult rival, but we did a really good job and we are very happy with the result. I knew I was ready for the penalty; I was nervous, like anyone, but prepared to take it. We won because we have been preparing and because we really wanted it – we said it, we went for it, and we got it. It was because of our attitude.” Japan vs Malaysia (Full-Time Score: 4-1) Japan imposed their game from the start on the synthetic turf of the Estadio Nacional, with an efficient first quarter that shaped the match. Takahashi’s side combined quick circulation and high pressing to produce seven early circle entries, reflected in a decisive start: Yoshida opened the scoring in the 4th minute, followed by a penalty stroke converted by Saito Hanami and a penalty corner scored by Tabuchi to set a 3-0 lead. Malaysia responded in the second quarter with greater verticality and a penalty corner finished by Hartomo in the 20th minute, reducing the margin at half-time. The second half showed Japan’s territorial control as they managed the tempo and absorbed Malaysia’s attempts to get back into the match. The Japanese side increased their circle entries, generated new penalty corners and sealed the 4-1 win with a field goal from Usui in the 55th minute. Malaysia maintained defensive order at moments but were unable to regain possession or disrupt Japan’s structure. Japan’s captain, Minami Ohtsuka, said, “We are very happy for winning this first match, it was our objective. The key was staying united from the start to make it happen.” United States vs New Zealand (Full-Time Score: 5-2) The United States and New Zealand opened their match with a balanced early phase and few circle actions on the synthetic surface of the Estadio Nacional. The breakthrough came in

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01 Dec, 2025 The fourth day of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025saw Germany and Argentina confirming their place in the quarter-finals after topping their respective pools. While the Germans extended their all-win record to three matches in Pool A, the Argentines had to pull out all stops against China to push New Zealand down to second spot on goal difference in Pool C. Here’s a brief report on how the four games hosted by Madurai and Chennai panned out on Monday. Germany vs Ireland (Full-Time Score: 5-1) Defending champions Germany became the first team to storm into the quarter-finals of the tournament, registering their third consecutive win with a 5-1 margin over Ireland who finished their campaign with just three points from a solitary win. Jonas von Gersum starred for the Germans with two goals that he scored in the 4thand 50thminutes of the match in Madurai. Paul Glander (34th) and Christian Franz (53rd) added to Germany’s tally off penalty corners while Lukas Kossel converted a penalty stroke in the 52ndminute. The title-holders, however, failed to keep a third straight clean sheet as Samuel Dale’s consolation strike got Ireland on the board. Otherwise, German goalkeeper Jasper Ditzer had an outstanding game. “We had three good matches but I think it was the toughest against Ireland because the conditions were really hot,” said Glander, who captained Germany on Monday. “The objective was to have no goal against us heading into the quarters. We didn’t achieve that but we’re really excited to travel to Chennai now and play in front of a great crowd. Looking forward to that.” South Africa vs Canada (Full-Time Score: 9-1) South Africa outclassed Canada 9-1 in the concluding Pool A fixture on Monday to finish second among the four teams and will now have to wait for the pool stage to finish to know their fate as only two best second-placed teams among all six pools qualify for the last-eight stage. Germany topped the pool to bag direct qualification to the quarters, while Ireland and Canada bowed out of contention. South Africa had to thank Jaydon Brooker for the healthy margin of victory as he scored four goals – two from penalty corners, one field goal and one off a penalty stroke. Brett Horn, Sian Maart, Daniel Neuhoff, Carlon Mentoor and Ross Montgomery were the other goal-scorers for the South African team. Robin Thind’s 14th-minute strike was the lone goal scored by Canada, who lost all three pool stage matches. “We wanted to give our all and score as many goals as possible. I think we achieved that. There were still chances that I think we should have put past the opposition goalkeeper, but I am really impressed with the boys’ performance,” said Player-of-the-Match Brooker. Japan vs New Zealand (Full-Time Score: 2-3) New Zealand’s terrific second-half rally gave them the best chance to qualify for the quarterfinals from Pool C as the narrow 3-2 victory over Japan took their tally of points to seven from two wins and a draw. That ended Japan’s hopes of reaching the quarters, while China had already exited the race. Chennai’s inclement weather tested both the teams with multiple stoppages, but Japan will rue having let a 2-1 lead at half-time slip out of their grasp. The first quarter saw three goals, with the Black Sticks opening scoring in the 5thminute through Scott Illerbrun. But Japan overturned that deficit by first equalising in the sixth minute off Kyoya Toya’s strike and then taking the lead with a penalty-corner conversion from Matsuki Muri just before the half-time hooter. The Black Sticks found an extra gear in the third quarter on the rain-soaked turf to first bring the game level at 2-2 when Owen Brown breached the Japanese post in the 38thminute and then went on to get a 3-2 lead three minutes later, thanks to a stunning strike by in-form striker Jonty Elmes. Credit to the Black Sticks’ defence, it held firm for the remaining 19 minutes to hang onto their one-goal advantage and take home all three points. “It feels awesome…I think we are showing that with belief and hard work, we can make something special happen,” said New Zealand’s Jonty Elmes. “It was a very difficult game with (weather-forced) stoppages and stuff. We have to look back on what we can improve upon, but I am very happy that we got over the line today.” Argentina vs China (Full Time Score: 3-1) The last match of the day saw a delayed start owing to the weather, but Argentina stayed focused and rode on Bruno Correa’s hat-trick to beat China 3-1. It pushed New Zealand to second place in Pool C on goal difference and secured direct qualification to the quarter-finals for the two-time former champions. The Argentines had a goal difference of +5 as against New Zealand’s +3, while both the teams ended with seven points each from three matches. The Black Sticks will now wait for the pool stage to end to know if they feature among the two best second-placed teams that go through to the quarters. Correa’s twin strikes in the 15thand 16thminutes put Argentina ahead 2-0 at half-time. China’s Di Yanwei reduced the deficit seven minutes into the third quarter, but Correa’s third goal in the 51stminute earned the South Americans the cushion they needed to see off the last nine minutes and secure victory. “It was important to qualify for the quarter-finals and the team is very happy,” said Matias Andreotti after the match. “I think all the teams are hard (to beat) as we saw in some of the other matches.” To see the current pool standings after Day 3,click here To see the full match schedule,click here FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025 – 1st December Result: Match 25 Germany 5-1 Ireland Player of the Match: Jasper Ditzer (GER) Umpires: Annelize Rostron (RSA) and Hideki Kinoshita (JPN) Result: Match 26 South Africa 9-1 Canada Player

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December 1, 2025 South Africa produced a statement performance in their final Pool A match, beating Canada 9–1 in Tamil Nadu to record their biggest Junior World Cup victory since a 9–0 triumph over Mexico back in 2005. The result gives the African champions a faint but very real chance of finishing as one of the two best second-placed teams, the final pathway into the quarter-finals.   With heavy rain pouring down, South Africa knew the equation was simple: win big, or risk slipping into the middle-eight playoff bracket. They started with clear intent and immediately took control of the game. Jaydon Brooker opened his tournament account with a superb finish, and less than a minute later he repeated the strike, almost identical in execution, slightly lower, but equally clinical, to make it 2–0. A brief lapse allowed Canada back into the match when Robin Thind was given far too much space to finish calmly, cutting the deficit to 2–1 by the end of the first quarter and offering the only moment of frustration in an otherwise dominant opening spell. South Africa reset quickly and reasserted their superiority. Midway through the second quarter Ross Montgomery pounced on a turnover and found Brett Horn, who made no mistake this time with a composed finish for 3–1. Moments later Sian Maart reacted fastest to a rebound and smashed home the fourth, sending South Africa into halftime 4–1 ahead and in complete control. Brooker completed his hat-trick early in the third quarter, this time with a flowing field goal he initiated himself, playing a delightful one-two before finishing clinically on the reverse. Litha Kraai’s sharp reactions created the next opportunity, allowing Dan Neuhoff to tuck home South Africa’s sixth before the close of the third quarter. Carlon Mentoor then produced the goal of the match, unleashing a thunderous reverse-stick shot into the roof of the net to make it 7–1. Brooker converted a penalty stroke, his fourth of the game, before Ross Montgomery capped off the scoring, tapping home after excellent work from Brett Horn to round out a commanding 9–1 win. South Africa now await the final standings across the pools to determine whether the emphatic victory is enough to place them among the top two runners-up, and secure a coveted quarter-final spot, or whether they will compete in the middle-eight classification phase. Source: SAHockey.co.za