A list of all countries to have won the Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup

These teams registered some many victories at the tournament.

The 2021 Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup is all set to begin on December 5. The tournament will be held in South Africa where 16 teams will battle for the crown. Having begun 32 years ago, the Women’s Hockey Junior World Cup remains a reputed competition for young female hockey players.

Eight editions have taken place so far in history. Out of that, the Indian team has qualified four times. However, they are yet to win a single World Cup trophy. The best result managed by the Indian side was in 2013 when they won the bronze medal. With that being said, let’s look at all the previous winners of the competition.

Netherlands

The Netherlands female hockey teams have been a dominant force in this competition since its inception. They have won the World Cup title three times out of the eight editions in an emphatic fashion.

They won the competition for the first time in 1997. The Dutch side dominated the group stages, winning four out of their five matches. The Jong Oranje Dames defeated one of the favourites Germany in the semi-finals before ousting Australia in the final. They scored 29 goals in seven matches, conceding only four times.

The Netherlands had to wait for 12 years before tasting success once again. They won the 2009 edition as well, starting it in dominant fashion by topping their group. In the semi-finals, they crushed South Korea 5-0 to move into the finals. The team crushed Argentina by the margin of 3-0 to win the gold medal.

After that, they made it two-in-a-row in the 2013 edition in Germany. In a group game against Ghana, they picked up a 10-0 win. The Dutch side's domination continued into the knockout stages, as they defeated South Africa 9-1 in the quarter-finals. In the semi-finals, they trounced India 3-0 before setting up a date against Argentina in the final.

It was a difficult task which stretched into the penalty shootouts. However, the Jong Oranje Dames showed nerves of steel to win it by the margin of 1-1 (4-2). Top-scorer Lieke van Wijk scored 14 goals in six matches.

Argentina

The South Americans have also been one of the most successful teams of the Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup. They won their first-ever Junior World Cup in 1993, which was the second edition in Spain. It wasn’t as easy, but the team showed impressive character to move into the semi-finals alongside Germany from their group.

The Argentine side defeated a gritty South Korea 2-1 in the semis. They met Australia in the final but showed impressive resolve to grind out another 2-1 win to lift the World Cup. But as it would go, fortune wouldn’t really be on their side for a while after that. Over the following two decades, Argentina made it to three Junior World Cup finals but lost in every opportunity.

They changed their fortunes in 2016 in Chile. They dominated the group stages as they won every single game. In the quarter-finals, they faced the USA – one of the favourites for the tournament. However, Argentina showed no issues with that, coming out with a 2-0 win. Argentina dominated Australia in the semi-finals and trounced them 4-2 to advance to the final against the Netherlands. This was the third-consecutive Junior World Cup final to take place between the two sides.

However, this time Argentina finally had their revenge, registering a 4-2 win to finally lift their second World Cup.

South Korea

South Korea’s dominance in the Women’s Hockey scene began with the turn of the century. They won the 2001 edition of the Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup.

In the first round, they won all three games and scored 19 goals – including 10 against Russia alone. They won two out of three matches to secure a place in the semi-finals. South Korea faced a gritty Australian side in the semi-finals, with the match stretching to extra-time. Kim Yun-mi scored a late winner to help her side secure a spot in the final.

South Korea faced favourites and hosts Argentina in the final. Both sides put up a valiant display, with the game stretching to penalties. In the end, the Asians picked up a 2-2 (4-3) win on penalties to lift the title. They reclaimed their title in 2005 as well. South Korea defeated the favourites the Netherlands in the semi-finals and Germany in the final to do so.

Germany

Speaking of Germany, they won the first-ever Women’s Junior Hockey World Cup. In the 1989 edition, the European side emerged victorious. They dominated the group stages, winning four out of five matches and scoring 17 goals.

In the semi-finals, they defeated rivals the Netherlands 2-1 in a thrilling affair. Germany faced South Korea in the final with a 2-0 win to create history in becoming the first-ever nation to lift the coveted title.

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