Tokyo, June 6: The Indian men’s hockey team clinched the championship title by defeating Japan 4-1 in the final of the Men’s U-18 Asia Cup held in Kakamigahara. Ashish Tani Purti played a pivotal role in India’s victory, scoring a remarkable hat-trick.
Ashish netted goals in the 2nd, 28th, and 34th minutes, while captain Ketan Kushwaha added another in the 30th minute. Japan’s lone goal came from Numada Gaku in the 52nd minute.
India secured a penalty corner within the first 90 seconds of the match. Ashish converted it flawlessly in the 2nd minute. Japan attempted to regain control in the first quarter, entering the Indian circle four times, but the Indian defense held firm, ending the quarter with India leading 1-0.
Despite continuous pressure from the host team in the second quarter, India maintained its advantage. A penalty corner awarded in the 28th minute saw Ashish take charge again, scoring to make it 2-0. The momentum shifted further when Prahlad Rajbhar advanced and assisted captain Ketan Kushwaha, who calmly scored in the 30th minute, bringing the halftime score to 3-0.
India continued to dominate in the third quarter. A brilliant run by Varinder Singh led to another penalty corner, and Ashish completed his hat-trick in the 34th minute, extending India’s lead to 4-0.
In the final quarter, Japan fought back, and Numada Gaku converted a penalty stroke into a goal in the 52nd minute, reducing the deficit to 4-1. However, this goal served only as a consolation.
For his outstanding performance in the final, Ashish was named ‘Player of the Match’ and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 13 goals. India also excelled in individual awards, with Ayush being named ‘Best Goalkeeper’ of the tournament. In the women’s competition, Naushin Naz from India topped the scoring charts with 12 goals.
Hockey India announced a cash prize of ₹3 lakh for each player of the gold medal-winning Indian U-18 men’s hockey team and ₹1.5 lakh for each support staff member. Additionally, players of the bronze medal-winning Indian U-18 women’s hockey team will receive ₹1 lakh each, with ₹50,000 for each support staff member.
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