FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025: India trounce Oman 17–0

The Indian Junior Men’s Hockey Team delivered a commanding statement of intent at the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Tamil Nadu 2025, dismantling Oman 17–0 in their Pool B clash in Chennai on Friday.

Coming off a 7–0 victory over Chile in their opening match, India’s clinical performance underlined both their superior structure and the attacking depth that has defined their campaign so far. With this emphatic win, India soared to the top of the group with 24 goals well ahead of second-placed Switzerland.

The match began with Oman showing surprising resilience in the early minutes. Despite conceding a 4th-minute opener to Arshdeep Singh, who finished a sharp field move to make it 1–0, the Indian side encountered a brief phase of frustration. Oman tightened their defensive lines, slowed the tempo and forced India into longer passages of possession without meaningful penetration. Those opening exchanges offered a glimpse of composure from Oman, but also set the stage for India’s eventual unraveling of their resistance.

The complexion of the match changed the moment the teams returned from the two-minute quarter break. India resumed with renewed energy and precision, and it took just three minutes into the second quarter for Manmeet Singh to double the lead. What followed was a decisive shift in rhythm as India’s forwards began to stretch Oman’s shape, repeatedly pulling defenders out of position.

Manmeet, easily one of the standout performers of the day, added another in the 26th minute, showcasing both his movement and willingness to take responsibility inside the circle. The floodgates opened soon after: Anmol Ekka struck in the 29th minute his sharp finish from close range pushing the scoreline to 4–0 before Dilraj Singh joined the scoring spree with another 29th-minute goal. By halftime, India were 5–0 up and cruising.

The third quarter brought with it India’s most dominant spell of the contest. Having earlier struggled to convert from penalty corners, they found their groove with a flurry of goals, scoring four times in a blistering five-minute window. Manmeet completed his well-earned hat-trick, while Dilraj and Arshdeep added to their tallies with calm, composed finishes. The accuracy and variety in India’s play deflections, field goals, and penalty corner executions—kept Oman perpetually unsettled.

By the time the quarter concluded, India had added three more goals and stretched the lead to 12–0. Oman’s defensive structure, which held reasonably firm in the first period, had completely unraveled under the unrelenting pressure of India’s forward line and midfield rotation. The visitors’ lone moment of hope came when they earned a penalty corner late in the match, but India’s defensive unit led by the goalkeepers stood tall to maintain yet another clean sheet.

The final quarter offered no respite for Oman as India netted five more goals. Ajeet Yadav struck twice (34’, 47’), Gurjot Singh also produced a brace (39’, 45’), and Ingalemba Thounaojam Luwang scored in the 43rd and 50th minutes. Sharad Nand Tiwari capped off the scoring in the 55th minute, sealing India’s biggest-ever winning margin at the junior level.

Arshdeep (4’, 33’, 40’), Manmeet (17’, 26’, 36’) and Dilraj (29’, 32’, 58’) all finished with hat-tricks, headlining a match that displayed not only individual brilliance but also the cohesion and tempo that India will hope to sustain through the tournament.

With two dominant wins and 24 goals in two matches, India have emerged early favourites to top the group and progress deep into the event.

The tournament continues in Chennai & Madurai, with live streaming available on JioHotstar.