Bengaluru: The Indian junior men’s hockey team touched down in Bengaluru on Thursday after a dominating performance at the Men’s Junior Asia Cup in Muscat, Oman. India outclassed arch-rivals Pakistan 5-3 to successfully defend their continental title. With this triumph, India have sealed their fifth Men’s Junior Asia Cup title and solidified their position as one of the best teams in Asia.
India were placed in Pool A along with Japan, Korea, Thailand and Chinese Taipei. They dominated the group stage with convincing wins over Thailand, Chinese Taipei and Korea. However, their second match against Japan proved to be one of the toughest of the campaign but Araijeet Singh Hundal scored in the third quarter to confirm their 3-2 victory. At the end of the pool stage, India had scored a whopping 38 goals while letting in only three goals themselves.
“Our journey in the Junior Asia Cup was nothing short of extraordinary. Each match presented its own challenges, but our team’s determination and hard work shone through. Our forwards performed exceptionally well, consistently breaking down defenses and creating scoring opportunities. Winning this title for the fifth time is a testament to our pursuit of excellence and the support of our incredible fans,” captain Amir Ali commented after landing.
In the semi-final, India took on Malaysia and registered a 3-1 victory courtesy of goals from Dilraj Singh, vice captain Rohit and Sharda Nand Tiwari. And the final was a tightly contested affair with Pakistan refusing to back down till the last quarter. However, Araijeet’s brilliant four goal performance saw India cross the finish line and earn the gold medal. This last outing also saw Araijeet jump up to second in the scoring charts with 10 goals to his name.
This title defence came after a decent show at the Sultan of Johor Cup last month where head coach PR Sreejesh, led his team to a bronze medal in his first competition. The Indian junior men’s team will now turn their focus on the FIH Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup 2025, set to be held in Chennai next year.
“Every player contributed to this remarkable victory, and our collective effort has been truly inspiring. The tough matches, especially against Japan and Pakistan, tested our mettle, but we stayed focused and executed our game plan. This is truly a proud moment for all of us, and we now look forward to the Junior World Cup in Chennai with great anticipation,” vice captain Rohit signed off.
(IANS)
