Ben Hasbach has already had a year to remember, and on Wednesday night in Chennai, he could add another impressive achievement to an already impressive hockey résumé. Earlier this year, he was the leading goalscorer for his country at the FIH Indoor World Cup in Croatia, being named the Young Player of the Tournament as Germany were crowned champions. And now, as the co-captain of Germany’s U21 at the FIH Junior World Cup, he enters the final on Wednesday against Spain as the team’s leading goalscorer, with five strikes to his name. He could well be lifting the trophy at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, two years after being a part of the victorious team of this tournament in Malaysia, along with Paul Glander – co-captains of this German team.
Mirko Stenzel, one of the head coaches, said that the two captains are slightly different in how they lead. “Hasbach is a bit more emotional, Glander is a bit more analytical and structured, very calm under pressure. They both have their own strengths. Hasbach, as a player, is a great asset. He is a really important player as he can decide matches with his stick. He’s technically very skillful, he’s fast. He has a good combination of being a scorer as well as an attacking forward who tries to defend well when he must. Both of them bring a lot of experience to the team,” Stenzel told The Indian Express.
On Sunday against India, he broke through in the final quarter to make it 5-0 for Germany. A simple aerial out of their own defensive third beat the last line of Indian defence when the hosts were pushing for consolation goals. Hasbach found himself in a 1v1 situation, showing off his impressive pace on the turf. Despite a lunge from Bikramjit Singh, the big man kept his balance and slotted into the net while putting in a dive. For the second straight Junior World Cup, he stung India, having scored two goals in the semifinal in 2023, which Germany won 4-1 in Kuala Lumpur.
The 20-year-old, originally from Bremen, made the move to Hamburg when he was 14, leaving family behind to get better as a hockey player. He joined Mannheimer HC last year, and told Weser Kurier that being in the presence of senior team players like Gonzalo Peillat – the legendary former Argentine and current German drag flicker – is helping him get better.
LA 2028 dreams
It’s the speed and physicality of Hasbach that has earmarked him as one of the standout talents for the senior team. After leading Germany to the indoor title, Hasbach had told Weser Kurier that he was ready to make the step up, and it would be a dream to play at LA 2028, but he hoped not to jinx it.
“I don’t think you can really say that you’re ‘ready.’ I’m aware of my achievements and know I could be called up,” Hasbcah had said, having already earned two senior caps. “I was once part of the senior squad, and you immediately notice it’s a different environment. I want to have a strong second half of the season to stay on the radar and be invited to training camps. I don’t like talking about the future much because I fear something could happen, like an injury. LA 2028 is definitely a goal, especially at my age, where the Olympic cycle applies to me. But first, there’s the World Cup in India. I don’t want to set it firmly in my head yet. But it’s definitely a dream.”
Spain and Germany come into the final with a fair degree of familiarity, as yet another major men’s hockey team comes down to two European teams. The Red Sticks, with their shorter technical players, will pose a serious threat if they can get their possession game going as they aim for their first-ever title. But Germany, who have been steadily improving during the tournament, start as the favourites. Hasbach, and a squad filled with serious talent from goalkeeper to forwards, would be driven to take home the country’s record-extending eighth men’s Junior World Cup title.
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India eye bronze
He knows a thing or two about bouncing back from a heartbreaking semi-final defeat at a big stage, so PR Sreejesh would hope to inspire his wards as India take on Argentina in the battle for bronze. The two teams have to recover from different kinds of heartbreak – for India, a 1-5 thrashing handed down by Germany in front of home fans would have seriously stung, while Argentina would still be fuming because of the controversial nature of the late winner Spain scored in their semifinal.
“There is one more match left, which can help you to get at least one medal,” Sreejesh said on Sunday, on what he’d be telling his players. “So that’s really important, rather than crying about the semifinal match, think about the next match and bounce back, that’s the only thing which I can tell them. Because going back empty-handed is more painful.”
Timings:
Bronze medal match: India vs Argentina at 5.30 pm IST
Gold medal match: Germany vs Spain at 8.00 pm IST