India beat Belgium 2-1 to win hockey junior World Cup crown after 15 years - Hindustan Times
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India beat Belgium 2-1 to win hockey junior World Cup crown after 15 years

Dec 19, 2016 03:47 PM IST

India have won the junior World Cup hockey title after a gap of 15 years. India, who led 2-0 at half-time, beat Belgium 2-1 in a final match they dominated at Lucknow’s Major Dhyan Chand Stadium. Catch highlights of India vs Belgium here.

India have become the first nation to win the hockey junior World Cup at home. At the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium on Sunday night, India beat Belgium 2-1 to win their second world title after 15 years. Catch highlights of India vs Belgium here.

The victorious Indian team after beating Belgium in the hockey junior World Cup final in Lucknow on Sunday.(Hockey India)
The victorious Indian team after beating Belgium in the hockey junior World Cup final in Lucknow on Sunday.(Hockey India)

Indian team captain Harjeet Singh with the junior World Cup hockey trophy. (Hockey India)
Indian team captain Harjeet Singh with the junior World Cup hockey trophy. (Hockey India)

19:27 IST: Skipper Harjeet says India had been waiting for this day for last two years and preparing hard for this day

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19:23 IST: India are world champions. And they deserved to win the title. India won their first title in 2001 in Hobart, Australia. In 1997, India won silver after losing to Australia in the final in Milton Keynes, England.

19:21 IST: Belgium win a PC in the dying seconds of the match. Score to make it 1-2.

19:17 IST: India are three minutes away from the world title. Belgium trying hard but lack the design to score. India keep their 2-0 lead.

19:15: India are five minutes away from their second hockey junior World Cup title.

Indian (blue) and Belgium players in action during the hockey junior World Cup final match in Lucknow on Sunday. (PTI)
Indian (blue) and Belgium players in action during the hockey junior World Cup final match in Lucknow on Sunday. (PTI)

19:10 IST: India win their fifth but Belgium goalkeeper rushes out in time to save the drag flick. India keep their 2-0 lead. Nine minutes on the clock left.

19:09 IST: 57th minute - Good defending by Belgium as they thwart Mandeep Singh on top of the Dee. But India win their fourth PC.

19:07 IST: Close shave for Indian goal in the 53rd minute as Belgium forward Ponchelet’s attempt to deflect in a cross is cleared easily.

19:05 IST: Fifteen minutes left on the clock and if India can win this one, they will the hockey junior World Cup title after 15 years. India are in control and lead 2-0.

18: 59 IST: India waste their third penalty corner of the match in the 48th minute. Sloppy trapping and wild shots have not helped. This time it was a crazy shot from Nilakanta.

18:53 IST: 41 minutes have gone and India, who have the control, are happy to keep their 2-0 lead. Belgium finding it difficult to push the Indians.

18:49 IST: In the 38th minute, Belgium launch first attack of second half but India defend well.

18:48 IST: Teams back for second half. The huge crowd enjoying their first taste of international hockey. India have not disappointed them so far. The final session gets under way. India playing left to right.

18:35 IST: India go to half-time with a 2-0 lead. Gurjant Singh and Simranjeet Singh have scored for the hosts. If India can win this title, they will be the second team after Germany to win it more than once.

18:30 IST: First penalty corner to Belgium in the 30th minute. The Indian goal survives. India lead 2-0. India are the first host nation to reach a hockey junior World Cup final.

18:28 IST: In the 25th min, Belgium try again but could not get into range again. Indian defence very steady and swiftly tackle Hilippe Simar. India lead 2-0 with 7 minutes left for half-time.

18:23 IST: India score in the 22nd minute. Set up by Nilakanta Sharma, Simranjeet Singh scores a field goal to double India’s lead in the hockey Junior World Cup final. What a start this has been for the Indians. The hosts are playing their third final.

18:22 IST: In the 21st minute, another attack by Belgium but India defend well again, did not allow forwards space to take a shot at the goal.

18:19 IST: 18th minute - Belgium attack but India defend well. Tirkey clears the ball to safety. India have conceded seven goals in this tournament while Belgium have four.

18:17 IST: 13th min: Belgium attack but could not enter the D. India’s counter, cross by Sumit but no one to trap it. India lead 1-0 in the first half.

18:15 IST: 15th min: Parvinder sends the ball into D but two forwards fail to deflect it in.

18:08 IST: India take the lead through Gurjant Singh. India 1-0 up in the 8th minute. This is his second goal of the hockey junior World Cup. It was a scoop by Sumit, Gurjant trapped it well and sent the ball into the goal with a rasping drive.

18:06 IST: 5th minute of first quarter, India earn another PC. Wasted again. India are really attacking hard and the crowd is just jubilant. 0-0

18:04 IST: In the third minute, India earn their first PC but it goes waste due to poor trapping by Harmanpreet. Early nerves? You can see live streaming of the India vs belgium hockey junior World Cup final here.

18:01 IST: Mandeep Singh pushes back the ball to Harjeet Singh as India start off well. Belgium get the first attack but India defend well. 0-0 in the opening quarter after two minutes.

17:58 IST: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and FIH and Hockey India president Narinder Batara meet and greet the two teams. The real action is just going to start. Belgium playing left to right.

17:52 IST: Meanwhile, KL Rahul missed his maiden double century in the Chennai Test. India have done well on Day 3.

17:51 IST: Here are the starting XIs:

India: Vikas Dahiya (GK); Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar, Dipsan Tirkey, Parvinder Singh, Arman Qureshi, Mandeep Singh, Sumit, Harjeet Singh, Gurinder Singh, Nilakanta Sharma.

Belgium: Loic Van Doren, Arthur De Sloover, Victor Wegnez, Antoine Kina, Philippe Dimar, Nicolas Poncelet, Robbert Rubuns, Thomas Verheijen, Martin Lambeau, Henri Taes, Quentin Van Lierde.

17:47 IST: It’s full house as all 15,000 seats are full and even fans are standing even though a special arrangement of additional 850 seats in the VVIP and VIP enclosures were made just before the final game. Teams are warming up. The atmosphere is just electrifying.

17:43 IST: Welcome to our hockey junior World Cup live blog. Germany have won the bronze. They beat Australia 3-0 after leading 1-0 at half-time. Next up it’s India vs Belgium.

India will be the team to beat after they outwitted Australia in a cliff-hanger of a semifinal.

Nearly 7000 fans were in treated to an absolutely thrilling contest during the India versus Australia match.

Belgium players celebrate a goal against Egypt during the hockey junior World Cup in Lucknow. (HT photo)
Belgium players celebrate a goal against Egypt during the hockey junior World Cup in Lucknow. (HT photo)

Tom Craig put Australia ahead in the first half, but Gurjant Singh pulled India level with a stunning run and backhand finish in the 48th minute before Mandeep Singh’s superb steal and shot put the hosts into a 2-1 lead.

Lachlan Sharp made it 2-2 in the 57th minute, which proved to be the final goal of the game. Much to the delight of the home fans, India scored all four of their efforts in the shoot-out with Matthew Bird and Lachlan Sharp proving unsuccessful as India reached their first hockey Junior World Cup final since winning the competition in 2001 in Hobart.

Goalkeeper Loic van Doren was the hero in the shoot-out as Belgium ended Germany’s hopes of winning a third successive title, following their triumphs in 2009 and 2013. This is Belgium’s first hockey junior World Cup final.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    Sharad Deep is a versatile sports journalist, who loves writing on cricket and Olympic sport. He has played cricket at the university level and has been writing for Hindustan Times since 1997.

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