India edged past Uruguay 3-1 in a shootout after a tense 1-1 draw in their 9/12 qualification match at the FIH Hockey Junior Women’s World Cup 2025 in Santiago on Tuesday. Goalkeeper Nidhi delivered a standout performance, blocking three shootout attempts to secure India’s win.

Manisha (19′) opened the scoring for India, while Justina Arregui (60′) equalized for Uruguay in the final seconds of regulation time.

The victory marked India’s fourth win in five matches. A 1-3 loss to Germany in the group stage kept the team out of the quarterfinals, placing it in the classification round for positions nine through sixteen. India will next face Spain to determine the ninth-place finisher.

India controlled possession from the outset, generating early scoring opportunities. Uruguay, however, earned the first penalty corner in the 5th minute but failed to convert. India earned a penalty corner of its own in the 18th minute, executing a clever variation that was stopped by the Uruguayan goalkeeper. Moments later, Manisha broke the deadlock with a long-range strike that put India ahead.

By halftime, India had registered eleven circle penetrations and maintained firm control, while Uruguay relied heavily on defensive play.

India continued to dominate in the third quarter, pushing high and keeping Uruguay pinned in its half. Despite multiple circle entries and back-to-back penalty corners, India could not extend its lead.

The game shifted in the fourth quarter as Uruguay adopted a more aggressive approach. It earned its second penalty corner in the 49th minute, but Nidhi made a sharp save to preserve the lead. With two minutes remaining, Uruguay substituted its goalkeeper for an extra field player, a strategy that paid off. In the final seconds, Uruguay won a penalty stroke, and Arregui converted to force a shootout.

India prevailed in the shootout with successful strikes from Purnima Yadav, Ishika, and Kanika Siwach. Nidhi’s three crucial saves sealed the result and kept India moving forward in the tournament.

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