India’s inspired run at the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup meets a formidable challenge on Sunday when the hosts take on seven-time champions Germany in the semifinals in Chennai. PR Sreejesh’s squad enters the contest buoyed by a tense quarterfinal victory over Belgium, secured through a shootout after a late equaliser pushed the match into a pressure-filled finish.Germany arrives with similar battle-hardening, having edged France in a tight tiebreaker. Their squad combines structure, pace and technical precision, attributes that have defined their consistent success at this level.The hosts will also need to cope with Germany’s multiple threats: goalkeeper Jasper Ditzer’s reliability, Paul Glander’s penalty-corner efficiency, and the speed of Alec Von Schwerin and Ferdinand Steinebach.While Germany holds the historical edge, India carries the lift of home support and the composure gained from surviving a high-pressure quarterfinal.LIVE UPDATES:
India’s inspired run at the FIH Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup meets a formidable challenge on Sunday when the hosts take on seven-time champions Germany in the semifinals in Chennai. PR Sreejesh’s squad enters the contest buoyed by a tense quarterfinal victory over Belgium, secured through a shootout after a late equaliser pushed the match into a pressure-filled finish.Germany arrives with similar battle-hardening, having edged France in a tight tiebreaker. Their squad combines structure, pace and technical precision, attributes that have defined their consistent success at this level.The hosts will also need to cope with Germany’s multiple threats: goalkeeper Jasper Ditzer’s reliability, Paul Glander’s penalty-corner efficiency, and the speed of Alec Von Schwerin and Ferdinand Steinebach.While Germany holds the historical edge, India carries the lift of home support and the composure gained from surviving a high-pressure quarterfinal.LIVE UPDATES: