India's Stumble: Junior Men's Hockey Team Overpowered by Germany in Berlin

The Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team suffered a challenging opening match at the 4 Nations Tournament in Berlin, facing a formidable 1-7 defeat against a superior German team on Saturday. Germany established an early lead, with Nico Kistein (4') scoring from a penalty corner and Alec Von Schwerin (5') adding a field goal soon after, putting the hosts ahead 2-0 in the first quarter, as stated by a Hockey India release.

The German team maintained their momentum into the second quarter, exerting continuous pressure. Hasbach Ben (25') extended Germany's lead with a field goal, allowing them to head into halftime with a solid 3-0 advantage. The Indian team struggled to break Germany's grip in the second half, with Paul Babic (39') furthering the score to 4-0. India showed some resistance in the fourth quarter, when Sourabh Anand Kushwaha (50') scored a field goal to narrow the gap to 4-1.

Germany's swift response was led by Hasbach Ben (51', 54') who completed his hat-trick, and Paul Babic (54') who netted a second goal, resulting in a decisive 7-1 victory for the hosts. India is set to face Australia on June 22 and Spain on June 24 as they aim for a comeback in the remaining pool stage fixtures of the tournament. The round-robin format features India, Germany, Australia, and Spain competing for top positions, with the leading teams progressing to the final and others contending in the 3rd/4th place playoff. (ANI)

(With inputs from agencies.)