Berlin, June 21 -- The Indian Junior Men's Hockey Team endured a tough start to their campaign at the 4 Nations Tournament in Berlin, suffering a 1-7 defeat against a dominant German side in their opening match on Saturday.

Germany started strongly, putting India under pressure early in the game. Nico Kistein (4') opened the scoring by converting a penalty corner, followed swiftly by a field goal from Alec Von Schwerin (5'), giving the hosts a 2-0 lead within the opening quarter, acccording to a Hockey India release.

The momentum stayed with Germany in the second quarter as they continued to apply attacking pressure. Hasbach Ben (25') extended their lead with a field goal, ensuring Germany went into halftime with a commanding 3-0 advant...