India finish eighth at the FIH World Cup after a 4-3 shoot-out loss to Belgium

India left the FIH Men's World Cup in eighth place on Friday after a 4-3 penalty shoot-out defeat to co-hosts Belgium. Regulation time ended 3-3 at the Belfius Hockey Arena in Wavre. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored from a penalty corner with 26 seconds left to force the shoot-out. It was his eighth goal of the tournament.

Abhishek Nain put India ahead in the fifth minute. His shot from inside the circle deflected off Alexander Hendrickx. Belgium answered through Roman Duvekot in the 21st minute and Hugo Labouchere from a penalty corner a minute later. Harmanpreet levelled before half-time. After the break, veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh took a ball near the eye from Labouchere's close-range shot and left the pitch bleeding. The home crowd applauded him off. Belgium then scored through Nicolas de Kerpel after an Indian error to lead 3-2. Harmanpreet's late corner made it 3-3.

In the shoot-out Shilanand Lakra, Dilpreet Singh and Abhishek converted. Harmanpreet and Sukhjeet Singh did not. For Belgium, Tom Boon, Arthur de Sloover, Hendrickx and Duvekot scored. Victor Fourbert missed. India goalkeeper Mohith H.S. was judged to have committed too early on several Belgian attempts.

World No. 2 Belgium played in front of a home crowd in cold wind. India had taken the early lead and could not hold it. The eighth-place finish ends a campaign that will be read against a 51-year wait for a World Cup podium. That wait continues.

The women's team, on a parallel track, beat Germany 3-1 and took fifth place, their best World Cup result in 52 years. The two results will travel home together. One is a near-miss in a shoot-out against the co-host. The other is a documented step up.

Harmanpreet's eight goals keep him on the tournament scoring sheet. They did not buy a medal. Shoot-outs are a small sample. Four Belgian conversions against two Indian misses decided the night. The injury to Manpreet in the second half was the moment the match tilted. India never recovered their first-half shape after he went off.

Wavre is not a venue Indian crowds fill. The noise belonged to Belgium. The last-minute corner cut through that noise. The shoot-out gave it back. Eighth is a number the federation will have to explain against the money and the central contracts that now sit behind the men's programme.

The next test is the domestic calendar and the next FIH window. Friday's film is a captain who scored twice in open play and then missed from the spot, a midfielder with a cut near the eye, and a goalkeeper who moved too soon. Those three images will last longer than the table.