The Indian women's hockey team showcased resilience and fighting spirit but ultimately fell short in a penalty shootout against Argentina in the FIH Pro League 2024/25, played at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre in London on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. After a thrilling 2-2 draw, the shootout saw Argentina emerge victorious 2-0, denying India a crucial bonus point.
This match was a part of the European leg of the FIH Pro League, where the Indian team has been facing a series of challenging encounters. In their previous match on Tuesday, they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat against the same Argentine side. Determined to turn the tables, the Salima Tete-led Indian team displayed remarkable determination to come back from a two-goal deficit in this recent match.
The match began with both teams displaying aggressive intent. Argentina secured two penalty corners, converted expertly by Agustina Gorzelany. India struggled to capitalize on their own set-piece opportunities, failing to convert four penalty corners and missing a couple of clear chances in the first two quarters.
The tide began to turn in the second half, with Navneet Kaur scoring a crucial field goal in the 50th minute, narrowing the scoreline. India's persistence paid off when Deepika successfully converted India's fifth penalty corner in the 56th minute, leveling the score and injecting new life into the match.
As the score remained tied at 2-2 at the end of regulation time, the match proceeded to a penalty shootout. Unfortunately for India, the shootout turned into a nightmare. Deepika, Rutuja, Lalremsiami, and Baljeet Kaur all missed their attempts. Argentina, on the other hand, scored through Brisa Bruggesser and Sofia Cairo, securing the shootout victory and the bonus point.
Despite the loss, the Indian team's comeback performance was commendable. They demonstrated resilience and tenacity, earning their first point in the European leg of the Pro League. However, their struggles in the penalty shootout highlighted an area needing improvement.
In earlier matches of the European leg, India faced defeats against Australia, losing 2-3 and 1-2. The team is currently seventh in the FIH Pro League 2024-25 standings with nine points from 11 games.
India's next FIH Pro League match will be against Argentina again, offering another opportunity to test their mettle and strive for a better result. This game presents a chance for the team to apply the lessons learned, improve their penalty corner conversion rate, and fine-tune their shootout strategies.
This match marks the fourth consecutive defeat for the Indian women in the European leg of the league, underscoring the challenges they face in this highly competitive tournament. Despite the setbacks, the team's fighting spirit and determination to improve remain evident.
