The Indian junior women's hockey team is set to begin their campaign at the FIH Women's Junior Hockey World Cup on December 1, 2025, against Namibia. The tournament is scheduled to take place in Santiago, Chile, from December 1 to 13, 2025.
India finds itself in Pool C, alongside Germany, Ireland, and Namibia. The team will face Germany on December 3 and Ireland on December 5, presenting sterner tests in the group stage. Germany and Ireland will play each other earlier on the same day that India plays Namibia. The hosts, Chile, will also play the Netherlands on the same day.
The Women's Junior World Cup has been expanded to feature 24 teams for the first time. The teams are divided into six pools. Pool A consists of the Netherlands, Japan, Chile, and Malaysia. Pool B includes Argentina, Belgium, Zimbabwe, and Wales. Pool D comprises England, South Africa, China, and Austria. Pool E features Australia, Spain, Canada, and Scotland, while Pool F includes the United States, Korea, New Zealand, and Uruguay.
The crossover and knockout stage matches will commence on December 7, with the final slated for December 14.
This edition marks the 11th of the biennial tournament. It is a platform for showcasing emerging talent in international hockey, with competitors needing to be under the age of 21 as of December 31 of the year preceding the tournament.
The Indian junior women's hockey team has had some success in the lead-up to the World Cup. In June 2025, they toured Europe, securing three consecutive wins against Belgium. They won the first match 3-2, the second 2-1, and the third 3-2. The team also participated in the Four Nations Tournament in Argentina, where they lost 2-4 to the hosts.
India has never won the Junior Hockey World Cup, but they finished third in 2013 in Monchengladbach, Germany. The team is controlled by Hockey India, and is considered one of the most successful junior teams in the world, having won a bronze medal in the World Cup twice and the Asia Cup twice.
