03 June,2026 07:45 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Indian U-18 men`s team (Pic: Asian Hockey Federation)
The Indian men's hockey team played a dominant game, beating Chinese Taipei 13-1 in their final Pool A match on Wednesday to qualify for the semifinals of the U-18 Asia Cup 2026.
With this result, India ended the group stage with nine points from four matches, having defeated Kazakhstan, South Korea, and Chinese Taipei, with their only loss coming against tournament hosts Japan.
India's forward line controlled the match from start to finish. Ashish Tani Purti was the top scorer with a hat-trick (27th, 35th, 42nd minutes). Gazee Khan (40th, 44th), Siddharth Ben (30th, 52nd), and Rahul Yadav (20th, 54th) each scored two goals. Karan Gautam (7th), Premchand Soy (11th), captain Ketan Kushwaha (13th), and Varinder Singh (50th) scored one goal each to complete the win.
Team India took control of the game early on. Karan opened the scoring in the seventh minute by converting India's first penalty corner. Premchand then scored a field goal, and captain Kushwaha added a third shortly after, putting India in a comfortable position by the end of the first quarter.
The Indian team kept up the pressure in the second quarter. Rahul Yadav scored the fourth goal before Purti converted a penalty corner to make it 5-0. Right before the half-time whistle, Siddharth scored a field goal. Chinese Taipei managed to get on the scoreboard just before the break, as Yong-Jyun Jhang scored from a penalty corner to make it 6-1.
India started the second half with the same energy. Purti scored his second goal from a penalty corner in the 35th minute, and Khan followed with another penalty corner conversion. Purti then completed his hat-trick with another set-piece, and Khan scored his second goal to give India a 10-1 lead heading into the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, India kept attacking and scoring from set-pieces. Varinder converted a penalty corner, Siddharth scored his second goal of the day, and Yadav closed the match with his second goal to seal the 13-1 victory.
India will play their semifinal match on Friday. Their upcoming opponents will be confirmed after the final Pool A match between Japan and Kazakhstan later on Wednesday.
