Three lessons we learned from India's campaign at FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2023

The Blue Colts finished fourth after a semi-final exit.

The Indian junior men’s hockey team led by Uttam Singh finished fourth in the recently concluded FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023. This is the second successive time the Blue Colts finished fourth in the competition. Their journey started on a bright note defeating South Korea (4-2), however, in the next match, the team faced a major setback by losing to Spain by a three-goal difference (1-4).

This raised several questions among the fans, but the Indians bounced back strongly to thrash Canada (10-1) and finished the group stage on the second spot. In the highly anticipated quarterfinals against the Netherlands, India were trailing (0-2) at the end of half-time. The tides changed in the second half as India scored four goals to opponents three and qualified for the second successive semifinals.

Before the semis, both coach CR Kumar and captain Uttam Singh were confident of defeating Germany, but the seven-time champions were a notch ahead. A day later, India had a chance to salvage a medal against Spain. However, the eventual bronze medallists played the calculated game and made use of their opportunities which came by their side.

India were dominant on the field but couldn’t put the ball past the goalkeeper thereby resulting in a loss. With this, the Indian junior men’s hockey team finished their campaign by registering three wins and losses each.

Here are three lessons from India’s campaign in the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023!

Poor penalty corners conversion

India failed to score from any of their 12 penalty corners in the semifinal against Germany, who scored from one of their two chances through Hasbach. This problem persisted in the bronze medal match, where India also missed all their PCs.

One reason for India’s poor performance was the lack of creativity in their PC routines. In the quarter-final against the Netherlands, they surprised their opponents with a new variation and scored the decisive goal. But in the next two games, they wasted many opportunities by shooting off-target or failing to trap the ball properly. The penalty corner expert had a hard time finding the net because of the poor execution by the receiver.

Too much reliance individual brilliance

India’s performance at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2023 was not up to the mark as they played as individuals rather than as a team. While individual skills can win a game or two, they are not enough to win a tournament, which requires collective effort from all the players. India did not lack in commitment, but in coordination among the players.

There were some moments that impressed many Indian fans, such as Sudeep’s amazing run past four defenders near the opposition goal post. Even though he did not score, it was one of the best plays of the tournament.

However, the team also missed a creative midfielder who could link the defence and the attack. For example, Hardik Singh from the senior team is known for his ability to create opportunities and deliver accurate passes to the forwards. The Indian junior men’s hockey team did not have such a player and their creativity suffered throughout the tournament, despite some good individual displays.

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Experienced players failed to lead

The performance of the five players who played in the previous edition was disappointing. Araijeet Singh Hundal was especially below average. He began the tournament well but could not maintain his form. The forward had a lot of experience but failed to score goals. Other experienced players like Vishnukanth Singh were also ineffective.

On the other hand, some players like defender Rohit stood up when it mattered. The 19-year-old executed his role as a first rusher flawlessly and blocked several PCs from the Netherlands in the dying minutes. He deservedly won the Man of the Match award in the quarterfinals.

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