Since the Tokyo Olympics—where the men brought home bronze and the women finished fourth—hockey has seen a massive resurgence in India. The junior women are now looking to keep that energy going as they compete in the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup in Santiago, Chile. Led by captain Preeti, the team is determined to win gold in their sixth appearance at this prestigious event.
Indian hockey has received a lot of attention since the men’s hockey team won a bronze medal at the Olympics in Tokyo while the women finished fourth. The Indian junior women will try to build on that when they begin their campaign at the FIH Women’s Junior World Cup, which began on Wednesday in Santiago, Chile. The team, led by Preeti, will eye for the gold medal in what is their sixth appearance in the competition’s tenth edition.
India finds themselves in a challenging spot in Group C of this 16-team tournament, grouped with Canada, Belgium, and former runners-up Germany. Only the top two teams from each group will move on to the quarterfinals. As the world number six and recent Junior Asia Cup champions from Kakamigahara, Japan, the Indian side enters the competition with plenty of confidence.
India opened their campaign with an absolute rout, beating Canada 12-0. The victory was fueled by impressive hat-tricks from Deepika Soreng, Mumtaz Khan, and Annu, securing a crucial three points. This strong start sets a positive tone for their upcoming high-stakes match against Germany on Thursday night, November 30.
Despite the early success, head coach Tushar Khandker, a 2012 Olympian, has warned his players against overconfidence. He believes every opponent in a World Cup deserves equal respect and is urging the team to take the tournament one game at a time. While the squad is eager to secure their first title after losing the bronze medal match to England in the previous edition, Khandker is careful to manage the pressure surrounding their expectations.
Drawing from his own experience at the elite level, Khandker knows how heavy expectations can burden even the most talented athletes. To prevent this, he has shielded the players from the media hype regarding medals, encouraging them instead to simply enjoy their hockey and play with freedom. He emphasizes that while this is the biggest stage for junior players, the priority should be playing their best team game.
A key area of focus for Khandker before the tournament was improving on-field communication. He has been very clear with his players: when they are on the pitch, they need to take ownership of their roles and maintain constant communication with their teammates.