The Junior India Women’s Hockey Team is intensifying its defensive preparations ahead of the FIH Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup 2025, scheduled to take place in Santiago, Chile, from December 1 to 13. Head coach Tushar Khandekar and captain Jyoti Singh expressed confidence in the team’s readiness, especially for their crucial league-stage clash against Germany.
Coach Khandekar highlighted that defence has been a major focus area in recent months. He stressed that while scoring goals can win matches, strong defensive discipline is what ultimately wins tournaments.
“As a forward myself, I always believed in scoring goals. But to win championships, defending well is crucial. Even a single goal can win you a match if you protect it. The team has understood the importance of solid defence, and we’ve worked extensively on it,” he said.
India has been placed in Pool C, alongside Germany, Ireland and Namibia. The team will open its campaign against Namibia before facing Germany, a formidable side with one World Cup title and two runner-up finishes.
Speaking about the challenge, captain Jyoti Singh expressed confidence, noting the team’s prior experience against top international sides.
“No matter how strong the opponent is, we have played against teams like Germany and Ireland before. We know their hockey, but we know ourselves better. We are in good form, and if we stick to our plans and training, we can compete with — and even beat — any team,” she said.
Khandekar stressed a match-by-match approach, acknowledging that all 24 participating teams will bring their best to the tournament.
“Germany has a strong history, but so do we. Every team will come prepared. We know the areas we need to focus on, and we know where Germany is strong. Just as we prepare for them, they will also prepare for us,” he added.
Both the coach and captain credited the Anandana Coca-Cola India Foundation for supporting the team’s recent international exposure tour. The squad travelled to Australia for a series of competitive matches that helped refine both attacking and defensive strategies.
“The exposure tour was extremely valuable,” Khandekar said. “It helped us understand the level of hockey we aim to play at the World Cup.”
Jyoti echoed this, saying the experience helped the entire squad understand the demands of international competition.
With strengthened defence, valuable international exposure, and growing confidence, the Junior India Women’s Hockey Team is gearing up to make a strong statement at the upcoming World Cup in Chile.
