India put on a clinic at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneshwar, defeating Canada 13-1 in their Pool B encounter at the FIH Men's Junior World Cup. The match was a display of absolute superiority, resulting in the second-most goals scored by a team in a single junior World Cup game. It was a day of lopsided results overall, as Spain demolished the USA 17-0 in Pool C, and Argentina shut out Egypt 14-0 in the tournament's early kickoff.
Following an unexpected setback against France, the Indian squad rebounded strongly with a decisive win. The team displayed vastly improved chemistry and rhythm, applying relentless pressure throughout the game. Highlights included Vice-captain Sanjay recording his second hat-trick of the tournament and Araijeet Singh Hundal netting his first. Additionally, Shardanand Tiwari and Uttam Singh scored twice each, while Maninder Singh, Abhishek Lakra, and Olympic bronze medalist Vivek Sagar Prasad each contributed a goal.
India seized control early, scoring the opening goal in the sixth minute after Uttam Singh finished a play set up by Maninder Singh's back pass inside the circle. Before the first quarter ended, the lead grew to 2-0 thanks to a goal by two-time 'FIH Young Player of the Year' Sagar Prasad, following an impressive dribble by Maninder Singh.
The second quarter was defined by India's aggressive offensive strategy, which created numerous opportunities and led to two more goals. Canada did manage to find the scoresheet via a penalty corner, but India headed into the halftime break with a comfortable 4-1 lead. The momentum stayed with India in the third quarter, where they maintained superior possession and navigated the field with ease.
India further extended their lead to 7-1 by converting three drag flicks, with three different players finding the target. A demoralized Canadian side struggled to find any answer to India's intensity. The final quarter was a total rout, as India hammered in six more goals. Both Sanjay and Araijeet Singh capped off their performances with hat-tricks, and in total, seven of India's goals came from penalty corner situations.
With this second straight loss—following a narrow 1-0 defeat to Poland—Canada has been eliminated from the Junior World Cup. The defending champions, India, are now set to face Poland in their final group game this Saturday. India only needs a draw in that match to guarantee a spot in the quarter-finals.