Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team Gears Up for Australia Tour in Build-Up to Junior World Cup
The Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team is set to embark on a crucial five-match tour of Australia, a series that comes at a pivotal time in their preparations for the FIH Hockey Women’s Junior World Cup 2025, scheduled for December in Santiago, Chile. The matches will be held at the National Hockey Centre in Canberra between 26th September and 2nd October, giving the young side valuable exposure to international conditions and competitive opposition. The tour will open with three consecutive fixtures against the Australia Junior Women’s Team, on September 26, 27, and 29.
The final two matches will see India take on Canberra Chill, a club competing in Australia’s premier domestic competition, the Hockey One League, on September 30 and October 2.
The Indian squad is captained by Jyoti Singh and guided by head coach Tushar Khandker, a former Olympian whose experience at the highest level has been instrumental in shaping this young team. For the players, this tour is about more than just results it represents a final testing ground before hockey’s biggest stage for juniors.
Momentum from Europe Tour
This will be India’s second major preparatory assignment of the year. In June, the Junior Women’s Team embarked on a five-match tour of Europe, where they faced Belgium, Australia, and the Netherlands. That tour proved to be a confidence-booster. India began strongly, sweeping Belgium 3-0 across three games with commanding performances that highlighted their attacking depth. They then defeated the Australian junior side in a competitive contest, before narrowly falling to the Netherlands in a shootout. The loss was bitter, but the experience was invaluable, showing the team where they stood against the best in the world.
Reflecting on those performances, coach Khandker said: “After our last tour, we have worked on some areas in terms of structural play and individual technical skills. We have reflected on those matches over the past three months and have done a good job in improving as a group. I hope that in these upcoming five games we’ll be able to show what we have learned and worked on.”
Preparations in Full Swing
Following the Europe tour, the squad returned to the national camp in Bangalore, where they have spent the last few months sharpening both individual technique and team cohesion. The camp placed heavy emphasis on tactical awareness, match simulation, and physical conditioning, all critical for competing at the highest level. Khandker stressed that the Australia tour is about identifying gaps as much as it is about testing strengths.
“We’ve been training in the camp in Bangalore and it has been really good. Our preparations for the upcoming World Cup are on track and we are here in Australia to play some competitive games. The goal of this tour is to identify which are the areas we really need to work on and test ourselves before the World Cup,” he explained.
A Chance for Players to Step Up
The series is also an opportunity for individuals to stake their claim for a regular place in the starting lineup ahead of the Junior World Cup. Captain Jyoti Singh, who has grown into a leadership role over the past year, will be expected to set the tone with her calm decision-making and consistency in midfield. Forwards will look to build on their clinical finishing from the Europe tour, where Fazila Ikwaput stood out with her composed strike against Belgium. The defense, marshalled by a mix of experienced juniors and fresh faces, will be tested by the pace and physicality of both the Australian juniors and Canberra Chill’s senior players.
Goalkeeper Elangbam Panthoi, who produced crucial saves in the Netherlands match earlier this year, will once again be a vital presence at the back, particularly against opponents known for their sharp finishing. Facing the Australia Junior Women’s Team offers India a chance to directly measure themselves against one of the strongest developmental programs in world hockey. Australia has a reputation for producing players who transition seamlessly into the senior side, and the matches will test India’s ability to withstand relentless pressure while finding scoring opportunities.
The encounters with Canberra Chill provide a different challenge altogether. As a club team playing in the Hockey One League, Canberra will offer India exposure to senior-level competitiveness and tactical variety. The matches are expected to be physically demanding, preparing India for the intensity they will face in Santiago.
The Junior World Cup in December will feature the best rising stars in women’s hockey, and for India, the Australia tour represents one of the final opportunities to fine-tune combinations, experiment with strategies, and build confidence. The lessons from this series will likely shape final squad selections and tactical approaches. The coaching staff will pay close attention to how players handle pressure, adapt to changing match scenarios, and execute set-piece opportunities such as penalty corners.
India’s recent performances show that they are not just participants but genuine contenders. With wins over Belgium and Australia in June, and the bitter yet valuable experience of narrowly missing out against the Netherlands, the young side has shown flashes of maturity and resilience. The challenge now is to sustain that consistency across five competitive matches in Canberra.
Beyond preparation for the Junior World Cup, this tour also represents an important moment for the growth of women’s hockey in India. The exposure, media coverage, and experience gained by the players will contribute to building a stronger pipeline for the senior national team. Many of these juniors will soon make the transition to the senior squad, and learning to compete in demanding environments is crucial for that step. As Indian hockey continues to invest in its youth structure, tours like these become essential milestones.
They not only measure progress but also provide confidence that India can stand shoulder to shoulder with the traditional powerhouses of the sport.
From September 26 to October 2, all eyes will be on Canberra as India’s junior women take on Australia and Canberra Chill. Results will matter, but more important will be the lessons learned, the character built, and the momentum carried forward into December’s World Cup. For captain Jyoti Singh and her teammates, this is a chance to showcase how far they have come since the Europe tour, and to prove that they are ready to take on the world in Santiago.
As coach Khandker put it, “The goal is to test ourselves and be fully prepared. Every match here is a step towards being the best version of ourselves when it matters most.” India’s journey to the Junior World Cup is well underway, and the Australia tour is the next crucial chapter.
