The Indian junior (U21) men's hockey team wrapped up a six-match exposure tour of Belgium on 18 July 2026, capping the campaign with a rousing 4-3 victory over the Netherlands at the Hockey Centre of Excellence in Antwerp. Head coach Frederic Soyez, who is new to the role, said the tour delivered measurable progress and gave the squad a strong developmental foundation.

Tour Results at a Glance

The young Indian side played six matches between 5 and 18 July 2026. They opened at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre with a 2-4 defeat against Austria, before bouncing back sharply to beat the same opponents 4-1 — three field goals and a penalty-corner conversion doing the damage. The middle phase of the tour was tougher: India lost 2-3 to hosts Belgium, then fell 0-1 to Germany via a last-minute penalty-corner strike, and suffered a second defeat to Belgium, going down 2-4 in the fifth fixture.

The finale, however, belonged to India. Playing at Antwerp, the team produced what Soyez described as their best display of the tour, edging out the Netherlands 4-3 in a high-intensity finish.

What Coach Soyez Said

'This Belgium tour has been an outstanding experience, both on and off the field,' said Soyez. 'Competing against high-quality opposition in a demanding environment has provided invaluable opportunities for growth, learning, and team development.'

He was particularly encouraged by the upward trajectory across matches. 'Beyond the results, what stands out most is the progress the team made from one match to the next. With every game, our performances improved, reflecting the players' commitment, adaptability, and willingness to learn,' the coach noted.

On the narrow losses to Belgium and Germany, Soyez said the overall performances were 'very encouraging' with 'many positive lessons to take away.' He added that the concluding win over the Netherlands demonstrated 'the character and resilience of the group.'

Areas Still Being Worked On

Soyez acknowledged that consistency and efficiency in key moments remain works in progress. 'Of course, there is still work to be done, particularly in maintaining consistency and being more efficient in key moments of the game, but the progress is clear,' he said. The coach framed the tour as a confidence-building exercise rather than a definitive assessment of the squad's ceiling.

What This Tour Means for Indian Junior Hockey

Exposure tours against top European nations are a cornerstone of Hockey India's junior development pipeline, and this campaign — featuring matches against Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands — represented one of the sternest tests available at the U21 level. Notably, three of those four nations are perennial contenders at the FIH Junior World Cup. The experience gained in Antwerp is expected to feed directly into the team's preparation for upcoming international commitments. With the squad showing clear improvement across six matches, the next phase of training will aim to convert that momentum into consistency.