Chennai, Dec 11 (NationPress) The reigning champions, Germany, have successfully defended their title in the FIH Hockey Men's Junior World Cup, overcoming Spain 3-2 in a nail-biting shoot-out after both teams finished level at 1-1 in regulation time during the final held at Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium on Wednesday.

This victory marks Germany’s eighth title in their history, achieved during their tenth appearance in the finals of this prestigious tournament, which commenced on November 28 and took place across Chennai and Madurai.

Germany initially took the lead with a goal from Justus Warweg in the 26th minute, but Spain equalized shortly after halftime through Nicolas Mustaros in the 33rd minute.

During the shoot-out, Germany faltered initially, missing their first two attempts, yet they rallied to score on their subsequent three. Spain scored first with Pablo Roman, but their hopes dimmed as attempts by Aleix Bozal and Andrés Medina failed to convert.

With this victory, Germany extended their record of Men’s Junior World Cup titles to eight, thanks in part to the stellar performance of goalkeeper Jasper Ditzer.

The tension was palpable, as Spain sought their first title in their inaugural final, while Germany aimed to maintain their championship status. Both teams focused heavily on defense, especially after Germany's initial goal.

Despite creating multiple penalty corners, neither team managed to capitalize; Spain had five unsuccessful attempts in the first quarter, while Germany earned three.

The shoot-out came down to the wire, culminating in a tense final attempt.

Germany’s Jonas von Gersum and Warweg struggled initially against Spain’s goalkeeper Diego Palomero, but Benedikt Geyer leveled the shoot-out for Germany, followed by successful attempts from Alec von Schwerin and captain Ben Hasbach. Spain’s Juan Prado kept them in the game momentarily, but Ditzer’s outstanding save against Andrés Medina sealed the win, igniting jubilant celebrations among the German squad.

“Spain made it incredibly hard for us, and we didn’t have the best of our days in possession and in the moments of transition. But then, the boys always believed in being able to win in the shootout, which we did,” remarked Germany’s coach Mirko Stenzel following the intense match. “It feels amazing, overwhelming as well. We didn’t really think about the seven titles that you mentioned. We are just celebrating the present one. Incredibly proud of the boys, coming back from probably not the best of the matches during this tournament or this year.”

Earlier in the day, India clinched the bronze medal by defeating Argentina 4-2, marking a historic first for the nation.