India’s junior men’s hockey team registered a shootout victory against Germany on Thursday, while the Indian junior women’s hockey team concluded their tour of Europe with a draw against the Netherlands.
After the game against Germany ended in a 1-1 draw, the junior men’s team emerged victorious in the shootouts with a 3-1 win. For the junior women’s hockey team, Sanjana Horo (18′) and Anisha Sahu (58′) scored in their 2-2 draw with Oranje Rood.
After a quiet first half, during which neither the Indian team nor Germany could find the back of the net, Mukesh Toppo (33′) scored off a rebound from a penalty corner early in the third quarter. The Indian Colts held their lead until Germany equalized four minutes into the fourth quarter, adding excitement to the game. Despite both teams’ efforts to take the lead, the score remained unchanged at the end of regulation time, leading to a penalty shootout.
The junior men’s team won the shootout 3-1, with Gurjot Singh, Dilraj Singh, and Manmeet Singh scoring. They concluded their Tour of Europe with a victory in their final game.
Meanwhile, the Indian junior women’s hockey team played a quiet first quarter against Oranje Rood. Early in the second quarter, Sanjana Horo (18′) broke the deadlock for India. Oranje Rood responded well, earning two penalty corners, but the Indian defense held firm, ending the first half 1-0 in India’s favor.
Oranje Rood took charge in the third quarter. In their search for goals, Oranje Rood pushed India back, earning three penalty corners and scoring twice to take a 2-1 lead. The Indian junior women’s hockey team strove to level the score in the last quarter, achieving a breakthrough when Anisha Sahu (58′) scored in the final moments, ending the match in a 2-2 draw.