India produced a sensational late turnaround to defeat Argentina 4–2 in the third-place playoff and secure the bronze medal at the FIH Junior Hockey World Cup 2025.
Argentina struck early in the opening quarter, capitalising on a high press to earn a Penalty Corner. From the resulting play, the South Americans won a penalty stroke, which Nicolás Rodriguez confidently converted to hand his side the lead.
The visitors doubled their advantage in the third quarter when Santiago Fernandez smashed home from another short corner, putting India under significant pressure heading into the final phase.
But the hosts mounted a remarkable comeback in the final quarter. Anmol and Manmeet Singh scored in quick succession through Penalty Corners to drag India level. In the 56th minute, Sharda Nand Tiwari calmly slotted home a penalty stroke, completing a dramatic turnaround and giving India the lead for the first time.
Desperate to find an equaliser, Argentina pulled out its goalkeeper in the dying minutes to gain a numerical advantage. However, India made the most of the open goal, earning another PC and allowing Anmol to score his second of the match two minutes from time, sealing a memorable 4–2 victory and the bronze medal for the hosts.
Following the historic comeback win, Hockey India announced a cash reward of ₹5 lakh each for all players and ₹2.5 lakh each for the members of the support staff, acknowledging the team’s grit, determination and exceptional performance throughout the tournament.
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