India were crowned champions of the Men’s U-18 Asia Cup 2026 after a dominant 4-1 victory over hosts Japan in the final at Kakamigahara on Friday.
Forward Ashish Tani Purti starred with a brilliant hat-trick, scoring in the 2nd, 28th and 34th minutes, while captain Ketan Kushwaha added another goal as India completed an unbeaten run to the title. Japan’s lone goal came through Numada Gaku in the 52nd minute.
India made a dream start when Ashish converted a penalty corner within two minutes of the opening whistle to put the visitors ahead. Despite sustained pressure from Japan, the Indian defence remained solid throughout the first quarter.
The lead doubled in the 28th minute when Ashish once again found the target from a penalty corner. Moments later, Prahalad Rajbhar created another opportunity, setting up Ketan Kushwaha, who calmly finished to make it 3-0 before halftime.
Ashish finishes as tournament’s top scorer
India continued their dominance after the break. A penalty corner earned through a strong attacking move allowed Ashish to complete his hat-trick in the 34th minute, effectively putting the contest beyond Japan’s reach at 4-0.
The hosts managed a consolation goal through a penalty stroke converted by Numada Gaku, but India comfortably saw out the remaining minutes to secure the continental title.
Ashish was named Player of the Match and finished the tournament as the leading scorer with 13 goals, underlining his importance to India’s successful campaign.
Following the triumph, Hockey India announced a cash reward of ₹3 lakh for each player in the gold medal-winning squad and ₹1.5 lakh for each member of the support staff.
The federation also rewarded the Indian U-18 women’s team, which won bronze earlier in the day, with ₹1 lakh for each player and ₹50,000 for every support staff member.
