In FIH Odisha Men's Junior Hockey World Cup, defending champions India lost their opening game against France at the iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, on Wednesday night. France clinched the opening contest 5-4 in Group B. The opening quarter saw a couple of goals from each side but France held the edge by leading 2-4 at Half-time. Uttam Singh opened India’s scoreline after which Sanjay converted it to 2-2 in the 15th minute. France’s Corentin Sellier quickly converted it to 5-2 but late goals from Sanjay towards the end of the quarter reduced the margin to 4-5. India will next face-off Canada in their upcoming contest on November 27.
Earlier in the day, Belgium had a great start with a 5-1 win over South Africa. Pakistan disappointed as it lost 5-2 to Germany. A total of 16 teams are competing for the prestigious World Cup who will fight it out till the fifth of next month.
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