India won bronze in the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup after a breathtaking turnaround in the fourth round helped the team advance in the game. The Indian young brigade fought with Argentina to clinch 4-2 to get a place in the third playoff on Wednesday. The win marked India’s first podium finish since 2016, ending a nine-year wait after finishing fourth in both the 2021 and 2023 editions.
Early struggles and a two-goal deficit
India looked shaky at the start of the match and Argentina took the chance and used it fully, Nicolas Rodriguez gave the first advantage to Argentina in the third minute of the game. India failed to find the rhythm and also remained unable to settle and Santiago Fernandez took the lead to 2-0.
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The Indian team lost the semi-final to Germany 1-5, after that the pressure was on the Indian players.
Explosive final quarter changes everything
In the final 15 minutes of the game, India made a remarkable comeback and showed one of the greatest comebacks in Junior World Cup history. With the equaliser from Manmeet Singh, India found the rhythm back and tried to capitalise on all the chances to capitalise over Argentina. India continued to attack relentlessly. In the 57th minute, Sharda Nand Tiwari stepped up for a penalty stroke and calmly put it home, giving India the lead for the first time in the contest.
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Anmol Ekka struck from another penalty corner and India clinched a remarkable 4-2 victory to get the Bronze medal.
Despite the earlier semifinal setback, the Indian squad showcased exceptional composure, tactical discipline and this bronze win, not only reflects the strength of its junior pipeline but also reaffirms the nation’s growing confidence on the global hockey stage.
