The Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team is set to begin its journey at the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup 2025, with their opening match against Namibia on 1 December at the Centro Deportivo de Hockey Césped in Estadio Nacional, Chile.
The squad, led by captain Jyoti Singh, enters the tournament with a blend of confidence, preparation and ambition as they look to make a strong start on the global stage. India and Namibia have not crossed paths in recent FIH-sanctioned competitions, giving the opening encounter an element of unpredictability. For India, the match is also an important chance to settle nerves and establish early control in a tournament that has historically demanded quick adaptation and sharp execution.
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The team landed in Santiago a week before the event to acclimatise to weather, pitch conditions and time differences. This early arrival also offered the group additional training sessions to fine-tune tactical plans. The expanded format of the 2025 edition now featuring 24 teams instead of the traditional 16 raises both the level of competition and the margin for error.
Captain Jyoti Singh underlined the team’s readiness, emphasising the value of arriving early and training with intensity. “The team has adjusted well to the local conditions, and the morale is high. Our first match is against Namibia, and we want to build momentum from the very start. Every player is eager to execute the plans we’ve worked on,” she said. Jyoti also stressed a one-match-at-a-time approach, a message that resonates strongly in a larger tournament field with varied playing styles and lesser-known opponents.
The 24 teams have been divided into six pools, reflecting the scale and diversity of this year’s competition.
- Pool A: Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Netherlands
- Pool B: Argentina, Belgium, Wales, Zimbabwe
- Pool C: Germany, India, Ireland, Namibia
- Pool D: Austria, China, England, South Africa
- Pool E: Australia, Canada, Scotland, Spain
- Pool F: New Zealand, Korea, USA, Uruguay
India’s Pool C campaign will test the squad early, with matches against Germany on 3 December and Ireland on 5 December, both strong European opponents known for structured play and physical intensity. The fixtures will demand tactical discipline and the ability to adapt quickly to contrasting styles.
This World Cup marks India’s seventh appearance in the Junior Women’s category. Their finest moment came in 2013, when the team clinched a memorable bronze medal after edging out England in a tense penalty shootout. That podium finish remains a milestone for Indian women’s hockey at the junior level and continues to inspire the next generation of players stepping onto the world stage today.
India’s squad for 2025 carries a similar mix of technical quality, athleticism and ambition. With the global field now wider than ever, the opportunity for emerging teams to produce surprise performances also increases. For established nations like India, this means a sharper focus on consistency and mental strength right from the opening whistle.
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As the FIH Junior Women’s World Cup begins, India will aim to blend their traditional attacking instinct with structured defensive organisation an approach that has defined their recent junior-level performances. With a clear plan, strong leadership from Jyoti Singh and a week of on-ground preparation in Santiago, India enter the tournament prepared and purposeful.
Their opening test against Namibia is just the first step in a long and demanding competition. But with momentum on their side and clarity in their preparation, India will look to begin their 2025 campaign with conviction as they chase another memorable run on hockey’s biggest youth stage.
