India to take on Spain, eyes podium finish

The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team aims to overcome the disappointment of their semi-final loss to Germany as they face Spain for the second time in the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023 on Saturday, December 16th, in the 3rd/4th place match.
Throughout the tournament, the Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team demonstrated a commendable performance, including a thrilling 4-3 comeback win over the Netherlands in the quarter-final, where they rebounded from a 0-2 halftime deficit. In earlier stages, they secured a 4-2 victory against Korea in their first Pool C game, suffered a 1-4 loss to Spain, and triumphed 10-1 over Canada in the final group stage match.
Despite Spain holding an edge in historical encounters, winning five out of eight matches against India in Men’s Junior World Cup history, India seeks redemption after the recent semi-final loss to Germany. The upcoming match against Spain will be a chance for India to rectify their record and compete for the bronze medal.
Uttam Singh, the Captain of the Indian Junior Men’s Team, expressed, “It is disappointing that we aren’t in the final, but we have to put the loss behind us. We have one last match to give our all, and we’re going to focus on trying to win that game.” Coach C R Kumar added, “We really would’ve loved to have been playing in the final, but now we just have to focus on what lies ahead of us. Finishing third in a World Cup also commands a lot of respect, so we’ll play the best hockey we can.” The 3rd/4th place playoff match between India and Spain is scheduled for Saturday, December 16, 2023, at 15:30 IST. The tournament’s final will feature Germany against France on the same day.