In 1989, the Indian Women Hockey Federation organized Junior Asia Cup in Delhi with a prime motive of qualifying for the year’s and the first-ever Junior World Cup. Having lost the semifinal, it failed to achieve the motive. It took another 12 years for it to qualify. India for the first time took part in the Junior World Cup in 2001 when the field was expanded to 16 from hitherto 12.
Mamta Kharab, who would become a household name next year with her golden gold in the Manchester Commonwealth Games final, led the side being coaching by Bangalore and Hyderabad based coaches Anthony and Madhukaran.
However, the FIH introduced a new format for the 2001 Buenos Aires’ number. Top two finishers of each of the four pools will move to what was known as Championship round and the remaining 8 teams to Pool G & H where they will fight for rankings 9 to 16! Thankfully, this format was dispensed away with shortly.
The jubilant Indian Junior World Cup team that won bronze in 2013
India, Netherlands, USA and New Zealand were in Pool A where our team finished third having drawn NZ and beating USA. NZ, though had 4 points as that of India, made it to the championship round on account of goal aggregate, 4-2.
India did not lose single match in the Championship round and ranking to finish highest possible, 9th.
Three months later, Indian men won their maiden Jr World Cup at Hobart.
Since then our women’s program progressed well with regular qualification to the prestigious Jr number except in 2016 when India failed to finish among the top three in the Jr Asia Cup (Bangkok). India lost to Japan in the bronze medal match on shoot out.
It was ironical that our girls won their first ever FIH medal in this genre of competition — bronze at Monchengladbach — but did not make it to the next world cup!
Not qualifying for the 2016 Jr World Cup will remain a blemish in the Indian women’s hockey history, as it was otherwise making vast strides in the decade including qualifying for the Olympics twice (Rio & Tokyo).
Jr women’s World Cup team 2001
At Monchengladbach, Indian women outplayed England 3-2 in a penalty shootout in the bronze medal play-off match to finish on the podium — their best-ever showing in the marquee event. Interestingly, the Indian girls had never made it to the quarterfinals of the World Cup before this. India was led by Sushila Chanu. Rani Rampal was one of the star performers for India, scoring six goals, include one in regulation time in the bronze medal play-off tie as well as two later in the penalty shootout. As many as 12 players of India’s junior World Cup team were part of the senior side that finished a poor seventh in the FIH Hockey World League Round 3 in Rotterdam in June. The experience of playing in the senior side has helped them immensely.
Contrary to the final result, the Indian women did not start their World Cup campaign on a perfect note as they were thrashed 1-6 by Australia, who eventually finished sixth, in their opening encounter. But the Sushila Chanu-led side showed great fighting spirit to forge a comeback into the tournament by beating New Zealand 2-0 in their second game before demolishing minnows Russia 10-1 in a must-win final group game. India then defeated Spain 4-2 in the quarterfinals before losing 0-3 to eventual champions, The Netherlands in their semifinal duel.
Bigon Soy, the change goalkeeper for the shoot out against England for the bronze match, turned out to be India’s saviour, as she stopped two strikes of England.
Two years later, South Korea doused the Indian hopes in bronze shoot out to deny India entry for the 2016 number. The Jr World Cup was lost in the COVID calamity.
India made huge impact when returned to Junior World Cup fold in 2021 before it lost both knock out matches very closely. India finished fourth under present chief coach Janneke Scopman.
Preeti leads a side now at Chile to regain prestige.
Santiago (Chile) does not always revoke a good memory in India. Its here in 2008 that the men’s team failed to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.
This women’s team can erase some old wounds with a good display.
India would take on Canada today.