Patna (Bihar) [India], June 9 (ANI): A heat welcome was accorded to India males’s U-18 hockey workforce goalkeeper Sawan Kumar at Patna Airport on Tuesday following India’s triumphant marketing campaign on the Men’s U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Japan.
The Indian males’s workforce clinched the gold medal after defeating hosts Japan 4-1 within the closing at Kakamigahara on June 6. Ashish Tani Purti starred within the title conflict with a hat-trick, whereas captain Ketan Kushwaha additionally discovered the online as India secured a dominant victory to be topped Asian champions.
The achievement capped a profitable event for Indian hockey, with the ladies’s aspect additionally ending on the rostrum by claiming the bronze medal.
Speaking after he arrived in Patna, Sawan Kumar expressed satisfaction in representing each Bihar and the nation on the worldwide stage.
‘Representing Bihar makes me proud. The Bihar authorities has been constantly encouraging athletes. There has been vital growth within the sports activities sector right here, and I wish to categorical my gratitude for that. I wish to give credit score to everybody who supported me. It feels fantastic to see Bihar rising on the planet of sports activities,’ Sawan stated.
Bihar Sports Minister Shreyasi Singh, who obtained the younger goalkeeper on the airport, reiterated the state authorities’s dedication to nurturing sporting expertise and creating alternatives for aspiring athletes.
‘We need kids from Bihar to win medals not solely on the nationwide degree but additionally internationally, to play for India’s junior and senior groups, and to be a part of historic victories. Bihar will not lag behind different states within the realm of sports activities. The Bihar authorities is dedicated to offering assist that aligns with the mandatory infrastructural developments, coverage adjustments, and the aspirations of the state’s younger women and men who want to pursue sports activities. Chief Minister Samrat Chaudhary has issued clear directives guaranteeing that gamers from Bihar can take part in trade applications throughout numerous states. World-class services will likely be made out there to them inside Bihar,’ Singh stated.
To honour the boys’s workforce’s achievement, Hockey India introduced a money reward of Rs 3 lakh for every participant of the gold medal-winning squad and Rs 1.5 lakh for every member of the assist workers. (ANI)