The Indian men’s junior hockey team won their second World Cup title on Sunday, beating Belgium 2-1 in the final in Lucknow. India had last won the Junior Hockey World Cup in 2001.
Gurjant Singh opened the score early for the team, delighting a large crowd with a reverse hit in the eighth minute of the game. Just fourteen minutes later, Simranjeet Singh doubled India’s lead with a great strike from the edge of the circle to make it 2-0.
Belgium attacked in the second half, but India held firm, thanks to goalkeeper Vikas Dahiya who pulled off an exceptional save in the 53rd minute to deny the opposition. Fabrice Van Bockrijck scored right at the end to pull one back for Belgium, but India held on to win the title.
The triumph caps an excellent tournament for India, which they have dominated since the beginning. The team won all six of their matches in the tournament and conceded only seven times.
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