Kakamigahara (Japan): The Indian U-18 men’s hockey team produced a clinical display against Chinese Taipei, registering a commanding 13-1 victory in its last Pool A match of the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Kakamigahara, Japan, on Wednesday. The emphatic win ensured India sealed their place in the semifinals.
India ended their pool engagements with wins against Kazakhstan, Korea, and Chinese Taipei, while losing to hosts Japan. It gave them nine points from four matches.
The team’s attacking prowess was on full display against Chinese Taipei, with Ashish Tani Purti (27′, 35′, 42′) as the standout performer with his hat-trick, while Gazee Khan (40′, 44′), Siddharth Ben (30′, 52′), and Rahul Yadav (20′, 54′) each struck twice. Meanwhile, Karan Gautam (7′), Premchand Soy (11′), captain Ketan Kushwaha (13′), and Varinder Singh (50′) also contributed to the tally.
India made their intentions clear from the outset, dictating the tempo with incisive play that constantly troubled the Chinese Taipei defence. They broke the deadlock in the seventh minute as Karan converted India’s first penalty corner of the match.
Premchand (11’) then doubled the lead with a field goal, while skipper Kushwaha (13’) added a third in quick succession to put his side firmly in control by the end of the first quarter.
India continued their dominance in the second quarter. Yadav (20’) added a fourth before Purti (27’) converted a penalty corner to make it 5-0. Siddharth (30’) rounded off a prolific second quarter for India with another field goal right at the stroke of half-time. However, Yong-Jyun Jhang (30+) pulled a goal back for Chinese Taipei, scoring from a penalty corner just before the hooter to make it 6-1 at the break.
India resumed with the same intensity after the break. Purti bagged his second goal from another set-piece in the 35th minute to make it 7-1. Khan (40’) then got into the act, converting a penalty corner to extend India’s lead even further. Purti (42’) completed his hat-trick, converting from another penalty corner, while Khan (44’) added his second as India went into the final quarter with a commanding 10-1 lead.
The fourth quarter saw India maintain their relentless pressure as it remained clinical from set-pieces. Varinder (50’) converted a penalty corner before Siddharth (52’) scored his second goal of the match. Yadav (54’) rounded off a fine team display with his second goal of the match to seal a resounding 13-1 victory for India.
The win confirms India’s progression to the semifinals of the tournament, which will be played on Friday. India’s opponents will be decided after the last Pool A match between Japan and Kazakhstan later today.
(IANS)
