Bhubaneswar, Jan. 29 -- Germany emerged champions of the FIH Odisha Men's Hockey World Cup 2023 after scraping past formidable Belgium via sudden death in the nail-biting final match at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Sunday.

The match ended 3-3 in the regulation time. In the ensuing penalty shoot-out, both the teams were again tied at 3-3. Finally, Germany prevailed against the Red Lions by 2-1 in the sudden death to win the high-voltage match and eventually the title.

The first half witnessed a fierce contest between both the teams. Germany went all out initially to get back-to-back penalty corner opportunities in the fifth minute, but Belgian defenders thwarted those opportunities. Belgium retaliated immediately and Van Aubel F...