The Indian women's under-21 hockey team's campaign at the FIH Junior World Cup in Chile ended in heartbreak on Saturday, despite a dominant 4-0 victory over Ireland in their final pool match. The team, led by coach Jyoti Singh, finished with six points from two wins but was eliminated from quarterfinal contention due to the tournament's expanded format and results in other groups.
A Commanding Performance That Wasn't Enough
In their final Group B match played early Friday (local Chile time), India controlled the game from start to finish. Kanikac Siwach opened the scoring in the 12th minute following sustained high pressure. India maintained dominance, earning eight penalty corners and making 30 circle entries compared to Ireland's 11.
The second half saw India extend their lead. Purnima Yadav converted a penalty corner in the 42nd minute to make it 2-0. Late goals from Sakshi Rana (57th minute) and Yadav again sealed a comprehensive 4-0 win. This victory came after an 11-0 thrashing of Zimbabwe earlier in the tournament.
How the New Format Ended India's Hopes
Despite accumulating six points and an impressive goal difference of +15, India's solitary defeat against Germany proved decisive. The 2025 edition features a 24-team format for the first time, with only the six pool winners and the two best second-placed teams advancing to the quarterfinals.
India's fate was sealed because other groups produced unbeaten teams with seven points. In Pool A, both Belgium and Argentina finished with seven points after two wins and a draw. Belgium made headlines with a record 21-0 win over Zimbabwe, the largest margin in tournament history. In Pool D, China and England also reached seven points each.
India's hopes relied on China dropping points against South Africa, but the Asian champions secured a 4-0 win, cementing their top spot and leaving India out of the running for a best second-place finish.
Road Ahead in the Classification Matches
The Indian team will now enter the classification stage, competing for places 9 to 16. Their next fixture is against Wales on Sunday, December 7, at 20:15 local Chilean time. While the quarterfinal dream is over, the team has a chance to finish the tournament on a high note and gain valuable international experience.
The quarterfinal line-up, decided on Saturday, will see top-tier clashes including Netherlands vs England, United States vs Belgium, Australia vs China, and Germany vs Argentina.
