India’s rising hockey stars delivered a commanding performance to capture the Men’s U-18 Asia Cup 2026 title, defeating hosts Japan 4-1 in the final at Kakamigahara on Friday. Led by a stunning hat-trick from Ashish Tani Purti, the Indian side showcased its attacking prowess and defensive discipline to complete a memorable tournament campaign.
Tani Purti emerged as the hero of the final, scoring in the 2nd, 28th and 34th minutes, while captain Ketan Kushwaha added another goal in the 30th minute. Japan’s lone response came through Numada Gaku, who converted a penalty stroke in the closing stages.
India made an explosive start, earning a penalty corner within the opening two minutes. Tani Purti capitalized immediately, firing home to hand the visitors an early advantage. While Japan attempted to settle into the contest and created several attacking opportunities, India’s defense remained organized and denied the hosts any breakthrough.
The match tilted decisively in India’s favor during the second quarter. Despite sustained Japanese pressure, India struck again through Tani Purti from a penalty corner in the 28th minute. Just two minutes later, Prahalad Rajbhar won possession in a dangerous area and set up captain Kushwaha, who calmly slotted home to give India a commanding 3-0 lead at halftime.
India showed no signs of easing off after the break. A brilliant run from Varinder Singh resulted in another penalty corner, and Tani Purti completed his hat-trick with a clinical finish in the 34th minute. The goal effectively put the contest beyond Japan’s reach and underlined India’s dominance throughout the final.
Japan continued to battle and reduced the deficit in the 52nd minute when Numada Gaku converted a penalty stroke. However, the hosts were unable to build momentum, with India’s resolute defense standing firm through a series of late penalty corners to secure the championship.
The victory capped an outstanding tournament for India. Tani Purti was named Player of the Match and finished as the tournament’s top scorer with 13 goals. Goalkeeper Ayush Rajak was recognized as the Best Goalkeeper, further highlighting India’s all-round excellence.
Celebrating the achievement, Hockey India announced a cash reward of ₹3 lakh for each player of the gold medal-winning men’s team and ₹1.5 lakh for each member of the support staff. The federation also rewarded the Indian U-18 Women’s Team, which claimed bronze earlier in the day, with ₹1 lakh for each player and ₹50,000 for every support staff member.
The women’s campaign also produced individual success, with Nausheen Naz finishing as the tournament’s top scorer with 12 goals. Together, the performances of both teams marked a highly successful U-18 Asia Cup for Indian hockey and reinforced the country’s promising future on the international stage.
