16 December 2023 Lausanne, Switzerland: Germany went one step further than they did in 2021, upgrading their silver to gold by claiming a 2-1 victory over France in the final of the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in Malaysia. A brave performance from the Germans saw them coming back from a goal down to clinch the win against a determined French side. Spain ensured they wouldn’t leave Malaysia empty-handed after beating India 3-1 to secure the bronze medal. In the battle for fifth place, it was the Netherlands who prevailed with a 2-1 victory over Australia, while 2021 champions Argentina had to be content with seventh spot after a 6-3 win over Pakistan. After 12 days of exhilarating action, Belgium’s Hugo Labouchere finished as the tournament’s top scorer with nine goals while the top goal-scoring team was Spain with 27. France’s Gaspard Xavier was named player of the tournament and also received the FIH Rising Star award while Germany’s Joshua Onyekwue Nnaji was named best goalkeeper of the tournament. Here is how all four matches played out on the final day… Argentina vs Pakistan (Full-Time Score: 6-3) Argentina beat Pakistan 6-3 to finish their tournament on a winning note. The South Americans scored first, a Tomas Ruiz drag flick looping back to him off the keeper for an easy hit in. Arbaz Ahmad responded for Pakistan with a drag flick but Argentina regained the lead from a low Ruiz drag flick. Just five minutes later they turned over possession weakly for Ahmad to then score from the resulting penalty stroke. The half ended 2-2. Argentina survived another poor turnover in the opening minute of the second half before going ahead again, Joaquin Toscani making a devastating run from midfield to feed Ramiro Infanzon for a deflection. The Argentinians extended their lead when Ignacio Nardolillo stole a ball 60m out and fed Bautista Capurro who screamed in his reverse shot. Ahmad then handed Pakistan a lifeline, completing his hat-trick from another penalty stroke, but Argentina responded immediately with an Ignacio Persoglio drag flick. Juan Fernandez then sealed the match and 7th place in the tournament for Argentina with a deflection from open play. Player of the match Argentinian Joaquin Toscani reflected: “It’s good because the match was very hard. It was important to finish the tournament well. We learned that you need to defend to win matches, and you need the goals that you have in the rival area, you have to finish.” Netherlands vs Australia (Full-Time Score: 2-1) The Dutch dominated the statistics and were patient with possession in a deserved 2-1 win over Australia. The Australians created dangerous chances for deflections in the opening half but the Dutch simply had the better opportunities throughout. Australian keeper Max Larkin made a great stick save to deny Timo Boers from a penalty corner in the 14th minute and added two more saves from open play before failing to clear a loose ball, Dylan Lucieer pouncing on the scraps for Netherlands to lead 1-0 at half time. The Dutch controlled the second half, starving Australia of possession and testing the excellent Larkin repeatedly before Bouwe Buitenhuis popped a delicate overhead to unmarked Casper van der Veen on the p-spot for their second goal. Cooper Burns gave Australia faint hopes after rifling in a drag flick from a penalty corner just 90 seconds from time, but the Dutch secured the win and with that, fifth place in the tournament. Player of the match for the Netherlands was Boris Aardenburg who reflected on the lessons learned: “I think the mentality, we started with a pretty tough match against Argentina where the mentality wasn’t there. After we learnt in a few games that we could turn the game around, especially against Belgium, we showed a lot of toughness.” India vs Spain (Full-Time Score: 1-3) Spain proved the better team on the day and emerged as 3-1 winners against India in the third-place playoff. The first half was evenly contested, India starting better but unable to beat Jan Capellades in goal. The momentum then shifted towards the Spanish who were patient in possession, and Nicolas Alvarez fired in a field goal to take the lead. India hit back off a penalty corner, Sunil Jojo, reacting fastest to the rebound and levelling the scores at 1-1 before the break. Spain dominated in the third quarter, but Indian goalkeeper Mohith Shashikumar proved up to the task. Capellades then made an excellent save for Spain before Pau Petchame finally snuck one through the Indian defence to regain the lead. Spain put the game out of reach in the final quarter, Pol Cabre Verdiell crossing to Alvarez for a deflection. India had opportunities to claw their way back through several penalty corners, but Capellades kept them out, with some assistance from the crossbar, and Spain secured a well-deserved bronze medal. Player of the match was a delighted Pau Petchame for Spain who said: “For me and all the team it’s history… we wanted to win third place because we worked a lot in the last two years… we are proud of all the team, they are so happy, I am so happy.” Germany vs France (Full-Time Score: 2-1) Germany came from behind to beat France 2-1 as both teams enjoyed periods of dominance in a fitting final. French goalkeeper Marius Clément got his angles exactly right in the opening minute to deny the Germans an early lead. A German defender then miss-trapped a ball and it sat up beautifully for Tom Gaillard who unfortunately failed to connect with his shot. Clément again reacted quickly to shut down Ben Hasbach as the first quarter ended. Jules Verrier opened the scoring for France in the second period, receiving a glorious pass from Louis Haertelmeyer and evading numerous defenders to beat the keeper from close range. The rest of the half was tightly contested, and France led 1-0 at the break. The momentum was building for Germany though, and Jan Cordes

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13 December 2023 Lausanne, Switzerland: Whilst half of the teams – hosts France and all Continental Champions – that will play for a historical medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic hockey tournaments are already known, the other half will come from the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers that promise to be incredibly exciting! All four Qualifiers will take place in January, with the first one starting in exactly one month! The teams that will finish in the top-3 of each Qualifier will seal their qualification to the next Olympiad. Here’s the full programme: Women Valencia, Spain (13-21 January) Pool A: Belgium, Korea, Ireland, Ukraine Pool B: Great Britain, Spain, Canada, Malaysia Ranchi, India (13-19 January) Pool A: Germany, Japan, Chile, Czech Republic Pool B: India, New Zealand, United States, Italy Men Valencia, Spain (13-21 January) Pool A: Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Ukraine Pool B: Spain, Korea, Austria, Egypt Muscat, Oman (15-21 January) Pool A: Great Britain, Malaysia, Pakistan, China Pool B: Germany, New Zealand, Canada, Chile Teams have been divided into the two Pools of each Qualifier on the basis of their world ranking at midnight on 5 November 2023, once all Continental Championships were completed (based on the predetermined rules mentioned in the FIH Qualification System for the Paris Olympics, which can be accessed here). All FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifier matches will be streamed live on Watch.Hockey, with no geo-blocking*. Please visit Olympics.Hockey for more details about the qualifiers, as well as hockey at the Olympic Games Paris 2024. #EnRouteToParis #HockeyEquals #HockeyInvites *except on the Indian sub-continent For more information about FIH and hockey in general, please download the Watch.Hockey app or follow the FIH social media channels – Facebook, Instagram and Twitter – and website.

11 December, 2023 Still reeling from dropping out of quarter-final contention, Belgium produced a massive 12-goal win over Canada to ensure they progressed to the playoff for ninth to 12th place at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur on Monday. They’ll take on Malaysia in their next match after the hosts claimed a 4-1 victory over Egypt. South Africa recorded a comfortable 5-1 win over Chile to set up a clash with New Zealand, who emerged as 3-2 victors in a closely fought encounter with Korea. This leaves Egypt, Canada, Chile and Korea fighting over the bottom four places. Here’s how all four matches played out on Day 7… Malaysia vs Egypt (Full-Time Score: 4-1) Hosts Malaysia dominated all the statistics in their 4-1 win over Egypt. Harris Osman opened the scoring for Malaysia with a tap-in at the post after a powerful pass from midfield was deflected by two Malaysian players to undo the Egyptian defence. Mohamed Rafaizel produced some high-quality goalkeeping to deny the Egyptians before Harizan Faris fired a straight drag flick home for Malaysia to lead 2-0 at half-time. Malaysia were awarded 14 penalty corners in the second half but Mahmoud Hassan and the Egyptian defence frustrated them with some fine saves. Muhammad Danish Aiman eventually produced a low drag flick to beat the keeper on his right foot, and Che Nur Aqilrullah completed the win with a scrambled goal from open play. There was some consolation for the Egyptians as Abdelmonem Basel rifled in a brilliant goal. Player of the match Shahmie Suhaime said afterwards: “I had a very confident game today. Consistency is the point.” Belgium vs Canada (Full-Time Score: 12-0) Belgium romped home 12-0 against Canada with three players completing hat-tricks or better – Max Luyten completing his in the opening 10 minutes. First was a neat tap-in from in front of goal, followed by a diving deflection at the post. His third was an incredible reflex deflection as he was diving towards goal, somehow getting his stick to a ball high above his sliding body. Lucas Balthazar added a drag flick for the Belgians to end the half 4-0 up. Balthazar added two more in the second half – both from penalty corners – while Hugo Labouchere bagged his hat-trick in the space of eight minutes in the third quarter from two accurate drag flicks and a penalty stroke. Labouchere slotted in his fourth off a drag flick in the fourth quarter, Thomas Crols added a field goal and Luyten grabbed his fourth as the Belgians wrapped up the mammoth win. Player of the match Max Luyten explained: “We were pretty disappointed to not come out of the group stage because we felt we were a team that deserved to play a quarter-final and go and play for the medals, and we wanted to show the world that we’re a team that actually should play for medals and I think we did that.” South Africa vs Chile (Full-Time Score: 5-1) South Africa produced a dominant performance in beating Chile 5-1. Hans Neethling picked out a perfectly placed Ditlhakanyane Leruo who fired in from close range for an early score. David Tshebi then found himself on the end of another Neethling feed and teased his shot past the keeper to double the lead by half-time. The South Africans opened the gap even further in the third quarter, Neethling riding a heavy challenge and finding the net for his first, and then getting on the end of the good pass to deflect in for his second. Alexei de Witt pulled one back for the Chileans from a penalty corner, the South African keeper beaten by a big deflection off the first wave’s leg. But Nathan Ansell put in another one for South Africa, the penalty corner injector pouncing on the rebound after Julián Villanueva made a good initial save. Player of the match Hans Neethling commented on what the team did differently from the previous matches: “We backed our midfielders more and we played shorter passes.” Korea vs New Zealand (Full-Time Score: 2-3) New Zealand came from behind for a 2-3 win in a hotly contested match against Korea. The Koreans scored first, JunYeol Lim working beautifully in the circle for a reverse stick goal. Jonty Elms struck back to level the scores at 1-1 just before half-time. James Hickson rounded off some good inter-passing to give the junior Black Sticks the lead for the first time after 37 minutes. But Korea drew level within a minute, Dohyun Lim rifling a penalty corner in low at the keeper’s left foot. New Zealand then reclaimed the lead, Luke Aldred setting Scott Cosslett up with a beautifully executed short corner variation. Korea pulled their keeper off in the dying minutes to chase the game but the Kiwis absorbed the sustained period of pressure to hold on for the win. Player of the match Scott Cosslett looked ahead to the New Zealanders’ next match against South Africa: “We know we’re a good team. We’ve played them before, it was a good match, they’re a good team too, so we’ve got to just go away, prep right and come back with the same energy and fire that we had today.” To see the current pool standings after Day 7, click here. To see the full match schedule, click here. FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023 – 11 December 2023 Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, Kuala Lumpur Result: Match 25 Malaysia 4-1 Egypt Player of the Match: Shahmie Suhaime (MAS) Umpires: Hideki Kinoshita (JPN) and Hyosik You (KOR) Result: Match 26 Belgium 12-0 Canada Player of the Match: Max Luyten (BEL) Umpires:  Bruce Bale (ENG) and Jonathan von Hoesslin (RSA) Result: Match 27 South Africa 5-1 Chile Player of the Match: Hans Neethling (RSA) Umpires: Nazmi Kamaruddin (MAS) and Rajput Sourabh (IND) Result: Match 28 Korea 2-3 New Zealand Player of the Match: Scott Cosslett (NZL) Umpires: Antonio Ilgrande (ITA) and Lukasz Zwierzchowski (POL) Source: fih.hockey

11 December, 2023 The Netherlands Women’s team juggernaut rolls on as a late flurry buried Great Britain 5-1, before a winner in the final minute saw the Netherlands Men snatch a 2-1 victory in the penultimate day of the FIH Pro League mini tournament in Santiago del Estero. Great Britain Women were right in the game until early in the last quarter but from there it was one way traffic as the Netherlands scored a further three times, two of those goals coming from the stick of Joosje Burg in as many minutes. In the men’s match, a dramatic late save from Netherlands goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak allowed Joep Troost to score a dramatic late winner in just his second senior international appearance as the Dutch reversed their loss to Great Britain on Match Day 2. (Women’s) Netherlands v Great Britain 5-1 Determined not to have a repeat of the 8-0 drubbing they suffered against the Netherlands three days earlier, Great Britain put in an improved showing only for the scoreboard to blow out late on. The defending champions were again dominant and could possibly have won by more if not for a stellar performance from Great Britain goalkeeper Sabbie Heesh. The Netherlands, who had scored 12 goals in their two games coming into this contest, went ahead in the 10th minute when Frederique Matla had too much time and space in the circle allowing her to crack a tomahawk past Heesh. Great Britain were connecting with more effectiveness than their previous outing as they looked to cause the Netherlands defence trouble. However, Seesh was the busier of the two goalkeepers as she was required to keep out two Matla drag flicks and then a well struck shot from Freeke Moes in the 25th minute. Great Britain had a couple of forays into their attacking circle late in the first half without reward. The Netherlands’ lead was doubled in the 37th minute through an unfamiliar source as Sanne Koolen, in her 97th appearance, slapped a powerful shot from a penalty corner inside Heesh’s left hand post for her maiden international goal. Urged on by coach David Ralph for one huge final quarter effort, Great Britain pegged a goal back in the 47th minute when Elena Reyer wheeled around Rosa Fernig with pace into the circle before squaring the ball near the top of the D where Isabelle Petter controlled and fired her inch-perfect shot past the outstretched leg of Netherlands goalkeeper Anne Veenendaal. However, any thought of a Great Britain revival were immediately extinguished as Burg struck within 60 seconds and again a minute later. Burg snuck a shot from an acute angle inside the smallest of gaps left by Heesh at the near post for her first before rocketing a screamer into the top corner for her double. A one goal margin was suddenly three in the blink of an eye. Maria Steensma notched up the Netherlands’ fifth with her maiden international goal to round off the scoring as the Dutch made it three from three ahead of their final match of the mini tournament against Argentina tomorrow. “The first half was not good enough. The second half was better, we scored some nice goals…it was better teamwork and more polished so much better than the first half,” said Burg who was named Player of the Match. (Men’s) Netherlands v Great Britain 2-1 Great Britain were on the front foot early against the Netherlands, a Nicholas Bandurak drag flick thundering into the chest of Blaak with Jack Waller unable to connect on the rebound. There was drama with a minute left in the first quarter when Joep de Mol appeared to get the better of James Albery as he scooted into the circle, the umpire whistling for a penalty stroke as it appeared the Great Britain had pushed de Mol who lost his footing. However, the decision was overturned by the video umpire upon review. Despite plenty of end to end action there were no goals in the opening half. Bandurak had another drag flick well saved by Blaak to start the third quarter before the Netherlands started to arrest the momentum in their favour. Successive penalty corners from Jip Janssen were unsuccessful as it was going to take something special to break the deadlock. Enter Terrance Pieters. The Player of the Match in the win over Argentina expertly angled his stick to meet a drag flick from Janssen, sending the ball into the roof of the net giving Great Britain goalkeeper Oliver Payne no chance in the 47th minute. There would still be plenty of twists and turns as Great Britain levelled it up 90 seconds into the last quarter. The lively Phil Roper forced some panic among the Netherlands defence in the circle, the ball falling out to Rupert Shipperley who hammered his shot in and Sam Ward was on the far post to glance it home. Great Britain were aided when Floris Middendorp was shown a yellow card for an infringement on Ward, leaving the Netherlands with one less player for five minutes. However, the Dutch managed their way through their predicament before they produced a remarkable last 60 seconds of the match to win it. Blaak pulled off a brilliant save to prevent Great Britain sealing it, his heroics triggering a lightning counterattack that ended with Troost who came up with a finish of a seasoned veteran as he hammered a tomahawk into the bottom corner from the angle to make it 2-1. “I’m really proud of the team. It was a tough game for us, our third and fourth quarters were ok and we scored an excellent goal – the first for Joep Troost – so it was a great team performance,” said Blaak who was named Player of the Match. To see the current standings in the FIH Hockey Pro League, click here. FIH Pro League – 10 December 2023 Santiago del Estero (ARG) Result: Women’s Match 5 Netherlands 5-1 Great Britain Player

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11 December, 2023 Lausanne, Switzerland: Guts, Gumption, Glory! Today, every Dutch must have felt stones under their feet and walls around them sweat in anticipation. Probably, a game that will be etched in the hearts of hockey lovers throughout their lives. Coming back from a 2-0 deficit to drawing levels to winning the shootout, Netherlands did the undoable to defend their trophy. The third-place face-off was a one-sided affair as Belgium beat England by a commanding 7-0 margin.  Let’s have a quick round-up of the final day of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup.  Spain vs Japan (Full-Time Score: 2-4) Japan secured 7th place in the 16-team competition by defeating Spain in their designated classification match. Sana Hayasuke scored a brace to ensure victory for Japan. Spain was ahead in the game till the first quarter as they were up by 2-1, but the tables turned as Japan came with fresh and renewed energy after the first 15 minutes and started putting a lot of pressure on the Spanish defense. Spain got 8 penalty corners but failed to convert any of them! Sana Hayasuke was also declared as the Player of the Match for the two brilliant goals she scored. “We tried hard but couldn’t reach the semi-finals but we are happy that we could sign off our campaign with a win,” said Sana.  Germany vs Australia (Full-Time Score: 0-2) It was a day of missed opportunities for Germany as they got six penalty corners compared to Australia’s one. They missed all of the six while the Aussies converted the only opportunity they got.  Amy Lawton, who has been a star for Australia in the entire tournament, opened up the scoring in the 25th minute while Grace Young scored off a penalty corner eight minutes later. Australia finished 5th while the Germans finished below them in the rankings.  “The whole dream was about lifting the World Cup. When we lost in the quarter-finals, we were clear that we wanted to finish 5th. We are happy that we could achieve our goal,” said Player of the Match Grace Young.  England vs Belgium (Full-Time Score: 0-7) It was a well-deserved win for Belgium who have been in prolific form throughout the tournament as they toppled the England defense with some classy goals. Astrid Bonami starred for Belgium with five goals to her name. With this, she became the highest goal scorer of the tournament with a whopping 11 goals.  The other two goals were scored by Lousie Dewaet (39’) and Perrine De Clerck (45’). England’s bad form continued as they failed to perform in both attack and defense.  “What an amazing team, what an amazing tournament! There are no better feelings than to finish at the podium of a World Cup. We are happy with how we performed as a unit” said Player of the Match Astrid Bonami. Netherlands vs Argentina [Full-Time Score: 2-2 (Shoot-out Score: 4-1)] Fierce competition, sheer adrenaline rush, and some great hockey, probably these were the things that defined the final of the Women’s Junior World Cup. Mikki Roberts, what a player! A player who turned the game in a few minutes with her two brilliant PC conversions, announcing herself on the world stage.  Zoe Diaz and Valentina Raposo’s goals put Argentina up by 2-0 in the first half, but the second half belonged to the Netherlands. Interestingly, all four goals in the match came off penalty corners. Dutch custodian Sophia Ter Kuile showed her calmness and precision as she saved the first two shootouts while her teammates converted all four chances that they got, making sure they returned home with that glittering trophy.  “When we went inside the dressing after being 2-0 down, we were still confident that we can win this. Everyone came out strong and gave their best. Probably we all have played one of the best games of our lives,” said Player of the Match Mikki Roberts.  To see the final rankings of all the teams, click here. FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023 – 10 December 2023 Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped, Estadio Nacional Result: 7th-8th Place Classification Match Spain 2-4 Japan  Player of the Match: Sana Hayasuke (JPN) Umpires: Kamile Mockaityte (LTU) and Jianjun Chen (CHN)   Result: 5th-6th Place Classification Match  Germany 0-2 Australia  Player of the Match: Grace Young (AUS) Umpires: Sandra Adell (ESP) and Minami Inamoto (JPN)   Result: Bronze Medal  England 0-7 Belgium Player of the Match: Astrid Bonami (BEL) Umpires: Lizelotte Wolter (NED) and Kristy Robertson (AUS)   Result: Final  Netherlands 2-2 Argentina (Shoot-out Score: 4-1) Player of the Match: Mikki Roberts (NED) Umpires: Victoria Pazos (PAR) and Magali Sergeant (BEL)   Individual Award Winners:  Best Player – Teresa Lima (ESP) Top Goal Scorer – Astrid Bonami (BEL) Best Goalkeeper – Mercedes Artola (ARG) Source: fih.hockey

10 December, 2023 Lausanne, Switzerland: The round of classification matches to decide the rankings from 9th to 16th place at the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2023 came to an end with a nail-biting thriller between India and the USA. While Chile had to satisfy itself at the 12th spot after losing to Korea, Canada finished last in the World Cup at the 16th place. Let’s have a quick round-up of the four matches that happened in Chile on Saturday.  Canada vs New Zealand (Full-Time Score: 3-5) Madeline Harris starred for the Black Sticks as she scored a hat-trick to beat Canada in an enthralling match to kick off the proceedings of Day 10 at the World Cup. New Zealand’s attack during the entire game was on point as their forwards earned 10 penalty corners.  Canada started the game on a great note with skipper Allison Kuzyk scoring in the third minute itself. The two other goals were scored by their forward Elizabeth Mathisen in the 27th and 50th minutes of the game, but it wasn’t sufficient as New Zealand had sealed the game in their favor with five goals.  “It’s been a pretty tough week for our team but proud to finish off on a high. It was a team effort today as we had decided to go all out from the first minute itself,” said hat-trick Madeline Harris.  Zimbabwe vs South Africa (Full-Time Score: 1-6) It was a completely South Africa-dominated game from the start of the match as Shanna Mendonca scored a goal in the 17th minute. It was then followed by a hat-trick by Malikah Hamza to seal the game in their favor.  Zimbabwe tried to come back into the game in the 36th minute via a goal from Tinodiwanashe Elijah but it was way too far from their hands to match up against the South Africans.  The Player of the Match Malikah Hamza said, “We had got a tough pool because of which we were out of the semifinals contention but we wanted to make a statement today and I am glad we were able to do it.” Chile vs Korea (Full-Time Score: 1-2) It was again a heart-break for the hosts as they had to satisfy themselves at the 12th place after losing to Korea in a close match. Chile’s captain Francisca Irazoqui started the game on a high as she scored the first goal in the 15th minute but Korea’s Mihyang Park found the back of Chile’s net in the next two minutes to level the game.  In the 22nd minute, Sujin AN’s drag-flick in the penalty corner was too fast for Chile’s goalkeeper to defend as they took the lead. Chile tried hard in the second half to score a leveler but the Korean defense was too strong for them to break past their line.  Goal-scorer Mihyang Park said, “We had decided to not give up on this match, whatsoever it may be. We missed out on a few penalty corners; else we could have won it by a bigger margin.” USA vs India [Full-Time Score: 2-2 (Shoot-out Score: 2-3)] The last and most interesting match of the day saw two teams who had a mixed run in the tournament play against each other. The game was tied at 2-2 at the end of 60 minutes and even went to sudden death after being tied at the end of five shootouts as well. The intensity of this game was on a whole different level.  Kiersten Thomassey scored both goals for USA (27’ and 53’) while Manju Chorsiya (11’) and Sunelita Toppo (57’) netted one each for the women in blue. Sunelita’s goal proved to be the difference as she scored in the dying minutes of the match to level the game. In the shootouts, it was Rutaja’s heroics that took India to victory, as she scored off both the opportunities that she got.  “We had seen videos of USA’s matches and had analyzed their game. We structured our game accordingly and played with full focus. We are happy to finish on a high at the end of the tournament.” To see the schedule of the matches on the final day, click here. FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023 – 09 December 2023 Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped, Estadio Nacional   Result: 15th–16th Place Classification Match Canada 3-5 New Zealand  Player of the Match: Madeline Harris (NZL) Umpires: Minami Inamoto (JPN) and Melissa Taylor (RSA)   Result: 13th–14th Place Classification Match  Zimbabwe 1-6 South Africa  Player of the Match: Malikah Hamza (RSA) Umpires: Junko Wagatsuma (JPN) and Veronica Villafane (ARG)    Result: 11th–12th Place Classification Match Chile 1-2 Korea Player of the Match: Mihyang Park (KOR) Umpires: Durga Devi (IND) and Victoria Pazos (PAR)   Result: 9th–10th Place Classification Match USA 2-2 India (Shootout Score: 2-3) Player of the Match: Rutaja Dadaso Pisal (IND) Umpires: Jianjun Chen (CHN) and Katrina Turner (NZL) Source: fih.hockey

09 December, 2023 Day Five of the Men’s Junior World Cup saw the final games of both Pool C and Pool D play out in vastly different ways. Pool C saw two high-scoring games round off the table convincingly and without complication. Spain’s third win, an 8-2 victory over Korea, saw them top the group unbeaten, whilst India’s ruthless 10-1 overwhelming of Canada pushed them into second, with two wins and a loss. Korea found third, with one win and two losses, whilst Canada stuck to the bottom spot with a pointless campaign. Pool D was more closely contested. After the Netherlands handed New Zealand their third loss of the tournament with the game finishing 3-1 to the Dutch,, the second game in the pool had the potential to shake up the standings. Pakistan had the chance to top the group with a win and a good chunk of goal difference, and Belgium would take second place if they won. With the game vital to both teams, they eventually settled for a draw, leaving Belgium third and Pakistan second, a point ahead of their opposition. The final standings mean that the Netherlands push into a quarter-final game with India, whilst Pakistan will match up against Spain. Match 1: Korea vs. Spain (2-8) In a game where one goal often brought two, Spain’s goal scoring proved too ruthless for the Koreans. In just the fifth minute, Spain scored their first, a converted penalty corner which was then promptly joined by another corner goal a minute later. These were Spain’s only converted corners of the game, but that did not slow the scoring rate as the first field goal went past the Korean defence in the fourteenth minute. Korea were awarded a penalty corner in both the first and second quarter, but it was too little too late, as Spain had scored three more before Korea managed to take advantage of their second penalty corner to bring the score to 6-1. Two more Spanish field goals in the third quarter put the game genuinely out of reach for Korea and meant that their 58th minute field goal was a true consolation. Pablo Espino’s two third-quarter goals, just three minutes apart from each other, finished the game and earned him Player of the Match. He said after the game that “We are so happy [and] so proud for our team, we know that the quarter-finals will be difficult and we are focussed on them.” Match 2: Netherlands vs. New Zealand (3-1) The Netherlands managed to make the top spot in Pool D all but theirs as they beat New Zealand 3-1. It was a game that could have been far more emphatic though, as New Zealand received four first-half cards, including a yellow one for James Nicolson. Two wasted penalty corners in the first quarter left the Netherlands reliant upon two field goals in the second quarter to give them a decent lead. Another Dutch field goal early in the third-quarter put the game out of reach for the junior Blacksticks, despite scoring their first goal of the tournament two minutes later. The game stayed in the hands of the Netherlands right until the final whistle. Match 3: India vs. Canada (10-1) Like so many other games so far in the tournament, India’s huge win over Canada featured a frenzied display of goal scoring. A relatively quiet first two quarters saw India 3-1 up at half-time. A field goal in the eighth minute had opened the scoring for India before they converted two of their five first-half penalty corners. Canada found the net for a second time in the tournament, but it served only to snap the Indians into action. The second half was a fairly devastating onslaught, as three field goals were scored across the 42nd and 43rd minute, before the final quarter saw four more fly into the Canadian goal. Two in the 51st minute preceded two final field goals which slammed the game closed. Two field goals from Ajrun Aditya Lalage were well worthy of the Player of the Match award. Before being handed his award, he commented that his team “learnt from our mistakes against Spain and tried to not repeat those mistakes in this game. We will give our 100 percent in the next game.” Match 4: Pakistan vs. Belgium (1-1) A game upon which Pool D hinged, it was always going to be a fiercely tense contest. Belgium did not shy from the big occasion, winning and scoring a penalty corner in the third minute. The game reached a slight deadlock through the remainder of the first half, with Pakistan failing to capitalise on two penalty corners. In the 42nd minute, Pakistan clinched back a vital goal in the context of the tournament as they netted a penalty corner. With neither side managing to break the tension to find a winner, the game ended 1-1, sending Pakistan through in second place. To see the current pool standings after Day 5, click here. To see the full match schedule, click here. FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Malaysia 2023 – 09 December 2023 Bukit Jalil National Hockey Stadium, Kuala Lumpur   Result: Match 21 Korea 2-8 Spain Player of the Match: Pablo Espino, Spain Umpires: Nick Bennet, Great Britain – James Unkles, Australia   Result: Match 22 Netherlands 3-1 New Zealand Umpires: Hideki Kinoshita, Japan – Tim Meissner, Germany   Result: Match 23 India 10-1 Canada Player of the Match: Arjun Aditya Lalage, India Umpires: Benjamin Peters, USA – Bevan Nichol, New Zealand   Result: Match 24 Pakistan 1-1 Belgium Umpires: Zeke Newman, Australia – Nazmi Kamaruddin, Malaysia Source: fih.hockey

09 December, 2023 Lausanne, Switzerland: Netherlands stormed into the finals of the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2023 as they thrashed England by 8-1 goals in a one-sided match. In the other semifinal of the day, Argentina and Belgium played out a thriller with both teams not ready to give up on themselves. Later, it was decided via shootouts with Argentina emerging victorious. Let’s read a bit in detail about the two classification matches and two semifinals that were held on Friday in Chile. Spain vs Germany (Full-Time Score: 1-2) Katharina Haid’s penalty corner proved to be the difference between the two sides as Germany beat Spain 2-1 in a thrilling encounter. Germany started the game on a positive note with Marie Fischer scoring an insane field goal in the first quarter itself. While Paula Jimenez tried to bring Spain back into the game by scoring a penalty stroke, it wasn’t enough as Haid converted one corner within a minute to keep Germany in the lead. The last edition’s finalists will next play for a 5th–6th position. “After a heartbreaking loss to England, it was a hard fight today against Spain, but we had our plans in place and executed it well. Although we couldn’t qualify for the semifinals, we will look forward to finishing fifth in the World Cup”, said the Player of the Match Katharina Haid. Australia vs Japan (Full-Time Score: 1-0) Tatum Stewart scored her fourth goal of the tournament to secure the win for Australia. After missing out on eight penalty corners, the Aussie women were finally able to convert the ninth one in the 59th minute to set up a 5th-place clash against Germany. While Australia penetrated the opposition’s circle multiple times, it was firmly defended by the Japanese defense, which has been one of the most formidable ones in the tournament. The player of the Match Amy Lawton was happy with the result but said the team will work with the video analyst on the missing PCs. “We would give it our all to beat Germany in our last match,” she concluded. Netherlands vs England (Full-Time Score: 8-1) The Dutch women destroyed England’s dreams of reaching a Junior Women’s World Cup final for the first time as they beat England to win 8-1. The match didn’t look like a semifinal clash with Netherlands having the ball possession for the maximum time and scoring goals in regular intervals. Trijntje Beljaars, who is currently the highest goal-scorer in the tournament, yet again showed her prowess as she scored two brilliant field goals. Emma Reijnen (20’ and 53’) and Mikki Roberts (1’ and 46’) also scored a brace each while Jip Dicke (17’) and Lili De Nooijer (35’) netted one goal each. Player of the Match Jip Dicke said, “We are extremely happy to be qualifying for the finals of the World Cup yet again. We had made up our mind to play hard from the very first minute and that’s why we were able to score eight goals. We will keep things simple for the final as it has been going well for us. I am sure we would have our hands on the trophy once more if we play well according to our plans.” Argentina vs Belgium [Full-Time Score: 0-0 (Shootout Score: 3-1)] Argentine goalkeeper Artola Mercedes put on a stunning performance as they beat Belgium to enter the finals of the Junior World Cup! Even after continuous attacks and some great hockey that was seen on Friday night, the score remained at 0-0 after the end of 60 minutes. It was then time for the shootouts as Paula Santamarina took the first shot at goal for Argentina failing to convert it. Argentina converted the last three shootouts while Belgium failed to convert the first three, taking them to the finals. Skipper Valentina Raposo was adjudged the Player of the Match for guiding the Argentines to the grand finale. They will now face the defending champions Netherlands in the showdown on Sunday. To see the schedule of the upcoming matches, click here. FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup Chile 2023 – 08 December 2023 Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped, Estadio Nacional   Result: 5th–8th Place Classification Match Spain 1-2 Germany Player of the Match: Katharina Haid (GER) Umpires: Kristy Robertson (AUS) and Kamile Mockaityte (LTU) Result: 5th–8th Place Classification Match Australia 1-0 Japan Player of the Match: Amy Lawton (AUS) Umpires: Katrina Turner (NZL) and Durga Devi (IND) Result: Semifinal 1 Netherlands 8-1 England Player of the Match: Jip Dicke (NED) Umpires: Magali Sergeant (BEL) and Sandra Adell (ESP) Result: Semifinal 2 Argentina 0-0 Belgium (Shootout score: 3-1) Player of the Match: Valentina Raposo (ARG) Umpires: Lizelotte Wolter (NED) and Melissa Taylor (RSA)