India’s junior men’s hockey team pulled off a thrilling comeback to beat Argentina 4–2 and win the bronze medal at the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup 2025 in Chennai on Wednesday. The match looked headed for Argentina after they took a 2–0 lead with goals from Nicolas Rodriguez and Santiago Fernandez in the early and third quarters.
But India refused to give up. In the final quarter, the home side scored four goals in just 11 minutes to turn the game around. Ankit Pal got India’s first goal in the 49th minute, followed by Manmeet Singh, Shardanand Tiwari, and Anmol Ekka, who completed the comeback with a goal in the 58th minute.
The win is India’s first Junior World Cup medal in nine years and their fourth overall in the tournament’s history. Their previous podium finish came in 2016 when India won the title in Lucknow.
The packed crowd at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium erupted as the team sealed the comeback, celebrating a memorable victory and a return to the World Cup podium.
What’s next?
Many of the players from this squad are expected to graduate to the senior national team in the coming years. Hockey India officials said the performance shows the strength of India’s youth development program.