India’s campaign at the
The encounter was defined by high drama and physical intensity. India initially silenced the home crowd just five minutes into the match when Abhishek Nain found the net, his shot deflecting off Alexander Hendrickx to open the scoring. However, Belgium responded with sustained pressure, eventually finding an equalizer through Roman Duvekot before Hugo Labouchere converted a penalty corner to put the co-hosts ahead.
A dramatic finish and injury concerns
The match took a concerning turn when veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh was struck near the eye while attempting to block a close-range shot from Labouchere. The injury forced him off the pitch, leaving the team to regroup during a period of significant disruption. Shortly after, Belgium capitalized on an Indian error to score through Nicolas de Kerpel. The goal stood following a failed Indian referral, which sought to challenge the build-up play.
Indian captain
In the shootout, India struggled to find their rhythm against Belgian goalkeeper Vincent Vanasch. Both Harmanpreet Singh and teammate Sukhjeet Singh were unable to convert their attempts. Meanwhile, Indian goalkeeper Mohith H.S. found it difficult to contain the Belgian attackers, who successfully found the net four times to secure the victory. The final scoreline reflected a hard-fought contest, with India’s goals coming from Abhishek and a brace from Harmanpreet, while Belgium’s scoring was shared between Duvekot, Labouchere, and de Kerpel.
