New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): The Indian Under-18 males’s and girls’s hockey groups obtained a heat reception at Delhi airport on Monday after their profitable campaigns on the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Japan, the place the boys’s facet clinched a gold medal, and the ladies’s crew settled for a bronze medal.
The Indian males’s crew was topped champions after a dominant 4-1 victory over hosts Japan within the ultimate at Kakamigahara on Saturday. Ashish Tani Purti starred with a hat-trick, scoring within the 2nd, twenty eighth and thirty fourth minutes, whereas captain Ketan Kushwaha added one other objective within the thirtieth minute. Numada Gaku scored the lone objective for Japan.
Speaking to ANI on the crew’s return, captain Ketan Kushwaha expressed delight over the achievement and praised the collective effort that led to the title.
‘We are very glad as we received the Asia Cup in Japan. Everyone performed properly. We went there and had a 40-day camp. We are very glad to be returning to our nation victorious. Whenever the crew wanted him, Ashish scored for the crew. We needed to play in opposition to Japan after dropping as soon as, and after we acquired to play in opposition to Japan within the ultimate, we had been filled with enthusiasm. We will strive our greatest now to win gold within the Olympics,’ Kushwaha mentioned.
Head coach Sardar Singh credited the crew’s preparation and unity for the success.
‘I’m very glad. Considering the time that we acquired, 1-2 months, the crew performed very well. As the time was very scarce, we centered on crew bonding and necessities in worldwide video games; I believe this stuff helped them lots to carry out properly. The crew performed properly and executed the plan very well, which acquired us the outcomes,’ Singh mentioned.
Player of the Match within the ultimate, Ashish Tani Purti, mentioned the squad remained decided all through the event.
‘I’m very pleased with how we performed. We had a resolve as a crew that irrespective of which crew we confronted subsequent, we merely needed to beat them. We had been decided to defeat the Japanese crew, although it was their house floor,’ he mentioned.
To recognise the achievement, Hockey India introduced a money reward of Rs 3 lakh for every participant of the gold medal-winning males’s crew and Rs 1.5 lakh for every member of the help employees.
Meanwhile, the Indian girls’s U-18 crew ended their marketing campaign on a excessive by defeating Korea 3-0 within the bronze-medal match. Sandeepa Kumari, captain Sweety Kujur and Nousheen Naz scored the targets as India secured a podium end.
The bronze medal capped a promising event for the Indian girls, who scored 36 targets and displayed spectacular attacking aptitude and defensive resilience all through the competitors.
Captain Sweety Kujur mentioned the crew had realized precious classes from the marketing campaign.
‘We performed very well as a crew, however ultimately, we let the stress get to us, which is why we misplaced. Before the precise coaching, our Coach taught many issues, similar to self-discipline, respect, and serving to each other. There is a selected sort of self-discipline in sports activities that elevates an athlete, so we had been taught that properly, alongside the precise coaching. Our objective for the subsequent event is to goal larger. Having received bronze, we need to work even more durable and convey house the gold,’ Kujur instructed ANI.
Head coach Rani Rampal mentioned the crew had initially focused the title however was happy with the expertise gained by the younger squad.
‘Honestly, we had totally different expectations; given the coaching and matches we had performed, we went in pondering we might come again with the gold medal. However, trying again on the event, enjoying in a semi-final was a first-time alternative for these ladies. Still, attaining a podium end of their first event is a large increase for the longer term. There is immense potential in these children. These are the very gamers who might be competing within the 2032 and 2036 Olympics,’ Rampal mentioned.
Praising striker Nousheen Naz, who completed the event with 12 targets, Rampal added, ‘Nousheen Naz deserves reward. Scoring 12 targets in a event isn’t any straightforward feat. That mentioned, I consider that with out good defence and teammates passing her the ball, she would not have the ability to rating both; everybody contributes considerably to the crew’s success. But her future could be very vivid; she possesses that goal-scoring knack we want for the Indian crew, as a result of profitable is troublesome except we rating targets.’
Naz expressed satisfaction together with her efficiency and the crew’s total exhibiting.
‘I’m pleased with my efficiency. The crew carried out very well. Now, we plan to work even more durable,’ she mentioned.
Hockey India additionally introduced a money reward of Rs 1 lakh for every participant of the bronze medal-winning girls’s crew and Rs 50,000 for every member of the help employees. (ANI)