India's junior hockey team delivered another commanding performance at the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup 2025, dispatching Switzerland 5-0 at the Madurai International Hockey Stadium on Tuesday to complete a flawless pool stage campaign and book their spot in the quarterfinals.

The victory saw the Blue Colts finish atop Pool B with a perfect nine points from three matches, having outscored their opponents by an remarkable 29-0 aggregate. The hosts opened their tournament with a clinical 7-0 victory over Chile before producing a stunning 17-0 demolition of Oman that featured hat-tricks from three different players: Arshdeep Singh, Manmeet Singh, and Dilraj Singh.

Against Switzerland, Manmeet Singh once again proved his lethal finishing ability, striking twice in the opening quarter with goals in the 2nd and 11th minutes to give India an early stranglehold on the contest. Sharda Nand Tiwari matched his teammate's brace with goals in the 13th and 54th minutes, while Arshdeep Singh added to his tournament tally with a 28th-minute strike.

The dominance displayed by the Indian team has been nothing short of extraordinary. Under the guidance of coach PR Sreejesh, the legendary former goalkeeper who retired after helping India win bronze at the Paris 2024 Olympics, this young squad has shown remarkable cohesion and attacking prowess. Captain Rohit has led by example, marshaling his troops with maturity beyond their years.

India's reward for topping their pool is a quarterfinal clash against Belgium, scheduled for Friday, December 5 at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai. Belgium have also impressed in the tournament, highlighted by their emphatic 10-0 victory over Egypt in the pool stage, signaling they will pose a stern test for the hosts.

The stakes could not be higher for the home team. India have won the Junior Hockey World Cup twice, with their most recent triumph coming in 2016 when the tournament was held in Lucknow. That victory launched the careers of several players who went on to become mainstays of the senior national team, and the current crop will be eager to write their own chapter in Indian hockey history.

This 14th edition of the Men's Junior Hockey World Cup marks the first time the tournament features 24 teams, expanded from the previous 16-team format. The competition, running from November 28 to December 10 across Chennai and Madurai in Tamil Nadu, has already produced moments of high drama and goal-scoring spectacles.

Should India overcome Belgium, they would advance to the semifinals on December 7, with the final scheduled for December 10. The passionate home crowd that has packed the stadiums in both Chennai and Madurai will be hoping their young stars can maintain this blistering form through the knockout rounds.

For now, the Blue Colts can take satisfaction in their perfect pool stage performance, but they know the real test begins Friday when the quarterfinals commence and the margin for error disappears entirely.