Well then, that was some tournament... As the dust settles, and the curtain falls on yet another thrilling FIH Hockey Junior World Cup, let’s look back at the world’s best young talent battling it out on the global stage across two continents. From Tamil Nadu, India, to Santiago, Chile - the next generation of international stars delivered some huge performances. As always, the Grays Hockey Stick Range was right at the heart of the action.
With over 40 Grays Hockey athletes representing their nations, we are immensely proud to see so many rising stars bringing home medals, breaking records, and showcasing their talent on hockey’s biggest junior stage.
Grays Hockey’s Men’s Junior World Cup Recap - Tamil Nadu, India
Germany were simply emphatic. A ruthless charge in their route to the final, saw a memorable battle against a history-making Spain side. With the tie set at 1-1 after full-time, the Germans secured a record-extending 8th Men’s Junior World Cup title after a dramatic penalty shootout victory over Spain in the final.
1. Grays Hockey’s Junior World Cup Champions: Paul Glander & Ferdinand Steinebach
German captain Paul Glander showcased his incredible abilities once again as he played a pivotal role throughout the tournament, providing leadership and defensive masterclasses. Trusting the Grays Hockey Raid 2.0 hockey shoes and more importantly the Grays Hockey JB10 as his choice of stick, Paul’s standout moments included three impressive drag flicks, underlining the power and accuracy drag-flickers gain whilst backing the Grays Hockey JB Range – whilst Paul cements his match-winning influence at both ends of the pitch.
Joining him with a gold medal in hand, was Ferdinand Steinebach. The Der Club an der Alster forward made his mark early in the competition, scoring in Germany’s dominant 7-0 victory over Canada. With trickery and flair built into his resilient and efficient attack, Ferdinand backed the combination of the Grays Hockey Raid 2.0 shoes and Grays Hockey PB10 hockey stick.
2. Silver Medalist: Josep Martin & Juan Prado
This Spanish side carved their names into history as they reached their first ever Men’s Junior World Cup Final. Grays Hockey athletes Josep Martin and Juan Prado helped their nation secure silver as they pushed the eventual champions to the very limit, with Josep playing a key role throughout the competition, finishing the tournament with five goals to his name - whilst backing the Grays Hockey DB10 hockey stick. Juan, opted for the brand-new Grays Hockey DB10+ Hockey Stick paired with the Grays Hockey Raid 2.0 Hockey Shoe.
3. Men’s Standout Performances
While the medals typically capture the headlines, the Junior World Cup is an opportunity for the emerging talent to show the rest of world just what they, and their nation, are all about. With several breakthrough moments, and players announcing themselves on the international stage across the various pool matches, classification games, nail-biting shootouts, our Grays Hockey athletes delivered match-winning performances, hit impressive goal tallies, and played pivotal roles for their nations. Here’ a few notable mentions:
- Hugo Labouchere, Belgium (5th Place): the powering striker bagged 8 goals, in which 7 of the lethal finishes came from his drag-flicks. There’s a reason Hugo is powered by the Grays Hockey JB10 hockey stick.
- Max Langer, Belgium (5th Place): the agile forward bagged 4, including a crucial penalty shootout goal against the Netherlands. The HC Bloemendaal player continues to back the Grays Hockey DB10 and Grays Hockey AeroCage X combination.
- Jonty Elmes, New Zealand (8th place): the East Grinstead HC striker finished the tournament in style, scoring in the 7th/8th playoff against France to complete a very impressive 10 goal tally – another athlete for the Grays Hockey JB Range.
- Louis Rowe, Ireland (10th place): Banbridge’s baller enjoyed a standout pool-stage performance against Canada, scoring a memorable brace, and adding another to his goal tally in the tournament. The Grays Hockey PB9 hockey stick being Louis’ stick of choice.
- Mehrab Samin, Bangladesh: Mehrab captained his side Bangladesh, as they clinched the inaugural Challenger Trophy. The Grays Hockey JB9.
Shop the latest Grays Hockey 25/26 Collection, backed by those dominating the Junior World Cup 2025.
Grays Hockey’s Women’s Junior World Cup Recap - Santiago, Chile
Attention then turned to Santiago, where the Netherlands continued their global dominance at the biggest of stages by claiming a record-extending 6th Women’s Junior World Cup title, edging out Argentina 2–1 in a thrilling final.
1. Junior World Champions: Phileine Hazen, Trijntje Beljaars & Brechtje van Santbrink
HC Bloemendaal goalkeeper Phileine Hazen played a pivotal role between the posts, delivering goalkeeping excellence throughout the tournament, including a crucial quarter-final victory over England. HC Rotterdam midfielder Brechtje van Santbrink produced six stellar performances in midfield for the Dutch side as they stormed to gold in Chile.
Teammate and AH&BC striker Trijntje Beljaars enjoyed a prolific pool stage, scoring a brace against Japan and adding further goals against Chile and Malaysia. Backing the Grays Hockey JB Range – Trijntje’s two pinpoint drag-flicks cement the status of the JB range as the ideal stick for those executing the advance technique.
2. Silver Medalists: Chiara Ambrosini & Maxima Duportal
Grays Hockey athletes Chiara Ambrosini and Maxima Duportal secured a monumental silver medal finish with Argentina after an outstanding tournament. Chiara was a key attacking force for her side as she produced a stunning hat-trick against Zimbabwe, also finding the net against Wales during the pool stages as Argentina powered their way to the final. The drag-flick scoring efficiency from Chiara is no surprise, as she continues to put her trust in the Grays Hockey JB10 hockey stick.
3. Bronze Medalist: Felicia Theunissen
Completing the podium celebrations was Felicia Theunissen, who earned a bronze medal with Belgium following a convincing 5–1 victory over China in the third-place playoff. With the Grays Hockey DB10 hockey stick and Grays Hockey AeroCage X hockey shoes as the go to choice for Felicia, we can’t wait to be a part of her journey as she looks to cement her status in the senior team.
4. Women’s Standout Performances
- Lena Frerichs, Germany: Lena was instrumental, scoring five goals, including a brace against Ireland and a crucial strike in the 5th place playoff.
- Scotland: Featuring five Grays Ambassadors, Scotland clinched the Challenger Trophy, with Mhairi Lowstarring with five goals.
- England: Jess Dyson, Hollie Dring-Richardson, and Hannah Boss represented England as they reached the Quarter-Finals, eventually falling to the champions.
- Spain: Marta Armenteras and Mireia Gifra helped Spain secure 9th place, closing their campaign with a victory over India.
- Wales: A special mention goes to Liv Forey, who represented Wales at just 18 years old.
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