India eliminated from Hockey World Cup following another disappointing performance.

In a disappointing turn of events for the Indian men's hockey team, their World Cup journey came to a close on Monday at the Wagener Stadion, where they faced a formidable Argentina. Despite a spirited effort from Sukhjeet Singh, who scored twice, India succumbed to a 5-3 defeat, marking their third loss in five matches during the tournament.

The Wagener Stadion, a site of past triumphs for India, was once the backdrop for a remarkable comeback against Pakistan in the Champions Trophy 23 years ago. However, this time, the team was unable to replicate that magic. The match began poorly for India, as Argentina quickly capitalized on defensive lapses. Within the first minute, a failed clearance allowed Joaquin Toscani to score the opening goal. Just four minutes later, a penalty corner was awarded after Yashdeep Siwach's indecision, which Nicolas Della Torre converted to double Argentina's lead.

India managed to respond with a goal from Sukhjeet Singh, who executed a backhand finish to bring the score to 2-1. The team showed improved control in the second quarter, but further mistakes proved costly. Tomas Domene struck a powerful reverse-hit to extend Argentina's lead, and Yashdeep's backpass was intercepted, leading to another penalty stroke that Domene converted, making it 4-1.

As the match progressed, Argentina continued to dominate, with Lucas Toscani scoring from a tight angle to push the score to 5-1. However, India mounted a late comeback, with Sukhjeet netting his second goal by deflecting a slapshot from Mandeep Singh. Hardik Singh then converted a penalty stroke, narrowing the gap to 5-3. Despite the late surge, it was not enough to change the outcome.

With this defeat, India finished last in Pool E, having conceded 16 goals—the highest since the 2010 World Cup. The team will now prepare for a seventh-place classification match against Belgium, hoping to salvage some pride from a challenging tournament.