Bhubaneswar, Dec 1: Defending champions India beat European giants Belgium by a solitary goal to progress to the semifinals and keep alive their title hopes in the FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup at the Kalinga Stadium here on Wednesday.
India, who beat Belgium 2-1 in the final en route to their title triumph in the last edition in Lucknow in 2016, continued their domination over the European side.
Shardananad Tiwari’s penalty corner conversion in the 21th minute was enough for India to seal their place in the last four. The match was a classic example of defensive class from both the sides but the Indians did just enough to edge past their opponents.
India will face Germany in the semifinals on Friday.
Six-time champions Germany beat Spain 3-1 in the shoot-out after both the teams were locked 2-2 in regulation time. The Belgians were aggressive and created pressure on the Indian defence but the Indian backline held their own to win the match. (PTI)
