India’s Junior Women Finish 10th at 2025 World Cup: A Campaign of Promise, Pressure, and Painful Lessons

India’s junior women’s hockey team ended their FIH Junior Women’s World Cup 2025 campaign in Santiago, Chile, with a disappointing 10th-place finish, marking one of the lowest outcomes in the program’s history.

A narrow 1–2 defeat to Spain in the 9th/10th playoff confirmed the final ranking, capping off a tournament defined by flashes of brilliance, moments of inexperience, and a recurring struggle to convert dominance into results. 

India’s only goal against Spain came from Kanika Siwach, who scored in the 41st minute from a penalty corner. Spain, however, capitalized on their opportunities more clinically, scoring through Natalia Vilanova (16’) and Esther Canales (36’). The loss solidified India’s second-worst finish ever at the Junior Women’s World Cup and highlighted a regression from the team’s exceptional 4th-place finish in 2022. 

India’s World Cup journey was characterized by stark fluctuation in performance. They dismantled lower-ranked Namibia with a resounding 13–0 victory, demonstrating overwhelming offensive power. Goals came from all corners of the field hat-tricks for Kanika Siwach and Hina Bano, a brace from Sakshi Rana, along with strikes from Sonam, Ishika, Manisha, and others. 

Yet this explosive performance masked deeper deficiencies. Against structured, mid-tier teams capable of absorbing pressure, India’s tactical maturity faltered. They required a shootout to defeat Uruguay after a 1–1 draw, lost 1–3 to Germany in the pool stage, and struggled to finish off Wales despite dominating the contest. These matches exposed a clear pattern: India could overwhelm weaker opponents but repeatedly failed to execute decisive plays in pressure situations. 

The qualification rules only group winners and the two best second-placed teams advancing to the quarter-finals—left little margin for error. India’s defeat to Germany, despite a strong goal difference, ended their quarter-final hopes. A narrower loss, analysts note, might have pushed India into the last eight. 

Spain Playoff: A Microcosm of India’s Struggles

The playoff defeat to Spain condensed India’s recurring weaknesses into a single game.

Goalkeeper Nidhi produced “heroic” saves early on to keep India alive, but reliance on goalkeeping brilliance illustrated the fragility of India’s defensive structures. Spain’s opening goal came from a rapid counterattack an area where India’s high press repeatedly left them exposed.

The psychological turning point arrived in the 36th minute. India appeared to equalize through Sonam, only for Spain to overturn the decision via video referral due to a “back stick” technical violation. Within seconds, Spain won and converted a penalty corner, changing what could have been 1–1 into 0–2. This inability to stabilize emotionally and reorganize defensively after setbacks reflects a deeper issue with mental conditioning and game management. 

Kanika Siwach later pulled one back through a well-executed penalty corner, reaffirming her value as India’s most reliable set-piece option. But Spain closed the match efficiently, retreating into a compact structure India could not penetrate. 

Set-Piece Crisis: A Tactical Red Flag

Across the tournament, India’s penalty corner conversion rate was alarmingly low. The most glaring example came against Wales, where India won eight penalty corners and converted none despite dominating circle entries. Even against Uruguay, India struggled to break down a deep defensive block, relying instead on a low-percentage long-range strike from Manisha to take the lead. 

While Kanika Siwach proved effective individually, India lacked variety and execution quality in their secondary routines. When opponents neutralized the primary flicker, India’s alternative variations faltered, halting momentum and reducing scoring potential. This systemic deficiency, the report notes, demands immediate strategic intervention. 

Players Who Stood Out

Despite the team result, several players emerged as genuine prospects for the senior pathway:

• Kanika Siwach: Hat-trick against Namibia, crucial playoff goal vs Spain, and a standout drag-flicker. Recently selected for the inaugural Women’s HIL with Odisha Warriors.
• Hina Bano: Consistent scoring presence, with goals against Namibia, Germany, and Wales.
• Nidhi: India’s most reliable performer, producing key saves in regulation time and a superb effort in the shootout vs Uruguay.
• Sonam & Manisha: Showed attacking initiative but require further technical refinement under pressure.  

These players, the review stresses, must be fast-tracked into senior national preparation, especially ahead of the 2026 Women’s World Cup Qualifiers in Hyderabad a high-stakes assignment, particularly after India’s failure to qualify for the Paris Olympics. 

A Roadmap for Recovery

The report concludes with three strategic mandates:

1. Rebuild Set-Piece Execution: A specialized drag-flick training program, multiple flicker development, and high-pressure simulation drills are essential to raise conversion efficiency.  
2. Strengthen Mental Conditioning: India must eliminate psychological collapses following setbacks—an area repeatedly exposed in the Spain and Germany matches.  
3. Tactical Evolution Against Deep Defenses: The team needs structured training to dismantle compact blocks through width, 3D skills, and creative patterns not merely frontal pressure and circle entries.  

A 10th-place finish is a sobering reminder that talent alone cannot sustain India’s rise in junior women’s hockey. Strategic clarity, psychological resilience, and world-class set-piece execution are now non-negotiable.

Santiago 2025 provided painful lessons but also identified the young athletes capable of carrying Indian hockey forward, if the system is willing to evolve with urgency and purpose.