Indian Men’s Hockey Team Triumphs Over World Champions Germany in FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25

Bhubaneswar: The Indian men’s hockey team celebrated a hard-fought victory against Germany, the World Champions, winning 1-0 in their second match of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2024-25 season at Kalinga Hockey Stadium. Gurjant Singh scored the only goal, helping India rise to seventh place in the standings.

This win was a great comeback for India, especially after losing 4-1 to Germany the day before. The team’s defense, led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, showed remarkable strength in securing this important win.

India started strong, taking the lead just four minutes into the match. Gurjant Singh, in fine form, capitalized on a rebound after Mandeep Singh’s shot was saved but not cleared by German goalkeeper Alexander Stadler. Gurjant dove in to score, making a crucial impact once again.

To maintain their lead, India played a smart half-court press, looking to capitalize on any mistakes from the Germans. Germany nearly equalized when Thies Prinz displayed impressive skills to evade defenders, but Indian goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak made a key save. The first quarter ended with India ahead, 1-0.

As the game continued, India adopted a more conservative strategy, inviting Germany to attack while trying to create chances on counterattacks. Suraj Karkera replaced Pathak in goal for the second quarter and faced few threats as India created opportunities, earning three penalty corners in the final moments of the half. However, Germany’s defense held strong, keeping the score at 1-0 at halftime.

Germany came out more aggressively in the third quarter. Pathak was called into action again, making an instinctive save to deny Prinz in the 32nd minute. A few minutes later, he stopped a penalty corner attempt from Gonzalo Peillat, showing his skill.

Near the end of the third quarter, India had a golden opportunity to extend their lead. But German goalkeeper Stadler made an incredible double save against Sukhjeet Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad, keeping the match close.

The fourth quarter brought more pressure from Germany, who won a penalty corner early on. Karkera made another crucial save against Peillat’s drag-flick. India responded with their own penalty corner chance, but Amit Rohidas shot wide.

As the clock ticked down, Germany intensified their efforts, pulling their goalkeeper for an extra outfield player as they sought an equalizer. They won four consecutive penalty corners, but India’s defense, anchored by Karkera, stood firm.

In the end, India held on for the victory, showcasing resilience and teamwork to secure their second win of the season.