PM Modi congratulates Indian women’s hockey team for bronze in U18 Asia Cup

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday congratulated the women’s hockey team after they clinched the bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Under-18 Cup with a commanding 3-0 victory over Korea in the third-place playoff.

After India’s podium finish on social media, Modi praised the team’s fighting spirit throughout the competition. “Congratulations to the Indian women’s under-18 hockey team for winning the bronze medal at the 2026 U-18 Asia Cup. The team showed remarkable courage throughout the tournament. This feat reflects the growing strength of women’s hockey in India and the immense potential of our players. We wish the team all the best for their upcoming endeavours,” Modi wrote.

India stormed out of the tournament in style after defeating Korea in a one-sided bronze medal clash on Saturday.

Sandeepa Kumari opened the scoring in the second minute, getting India off to the perfect start and putting Korea on the back foot. The Indian side continued to dominate possession and control and doubled their lead in the 16th minute through captain Sweety Kujur.

India held a comfortable two-goal cushion and remained firmly in the lead after the break, adding a third goal through Nousheen Naz in the 33rd minute.

The forward finished the tournament as its leading scorer, scoring 12 goals and underlining her status as one of the competition’s most outstanding players.

India’s defense also impressed in the bronze medal game, shutting out Korea and ensuring the side finished the tournament with a clean sheet.

Sandeepa Kumari was named Player of the Match for her influential display and opening goal.

The bronze medal helped India end the tournament on a positive note after suffering heartbreak in the semi-finals. The team narrowly missed out on a place in the finals after losing to China in a shootout.

Despite falling short of the title challenge, India showed its growing depth at the junior level throughout the competition, which was confirmed by the Prime Minister in his congratulatory message.

The latest podium finish also continues India’s encouraging progress in women’s hockey, with several players from the U18s expected to form the core of the country’s future age group and senior national teams.

INDIAN MEN’S TEAM WINS GOLD IN ASIA CUP

The Indian men’s under-18 hockey team were crowned champions of the 2026 men’s under-18 Asia Cup after defeating hosts Japan 4-1 in the final in Kakamigahara, Japan on Friday.

Ashish Tani Purti (2′, 28′, 34′) completed a hat-trick while skipper Ketan Kushwaha (30′) also found the back of the net as India produced a commanding display against the hosts to lift the title. Numada Gaku (52′) scored Japan’s only goal in the competition.

In recognition of the teams’ achievements, Hockey India announced a prize money of INR 3,000 for each gold medal player of the victorious Indian U-18 hockey team and INR 1.5,000 for each member of the support staff. Hockey India also announced a cash prize of INR 1 lakh for each player of the Indian U-18 women’s hockey team who secured a bronze medal earlier in the day, along with INR 50,000 for each member of the support staff.

India wasted no time in making their presence felt, winning a penalty corner in the opening 90 seconds. Ashish Tani Purti (2′) made no mistake on target to give India an early lead. Japan grew into the quarter, testing India with four ring penetrations, but the Indian defense held firm throughout as the first quarter ended with India leading 1-0.

In the second quarter, India extended their advantage despite sustained pressure from the hosts. Japan earned their first penalty corner of the night and looked threatening, but an equalizer still eluded them.

India responded with purpose, earning a penalty corner of their own in the 28th minute. Ashish Tani Purti stepped up and played once again, making it 2-0 with a powerful strike into the net. The momentum was firmly with India and it showed almost immediately. Prahalad Rajbhar won the ball in the danger area, burst forward and laid it off to skipper Ketan Kushwaha (30′) who coolly finished to make it 3-0 for India at half-time.

India remained relentless in the third quarter. A silky run from Varinder Singh resulted in another penalty corner and Ashish Tani Purti completed his hat-trick with a clinical finish in the 34th minute to give India a 4-0 lead.

Japan pushed hard in the final quarter and Numada Gaku converted a penalty kick to make it 4-1 in the 52nd minute. However, the goal proved to be little more than a consolation. Japan earned three more penalty corners in the closing stages but could not find a way past a resolute Indian defense as India sealed a memorable victory and the championship title.

Ashish Tani Purti was awarded the man of the match for his stellar performance, capping off an outstanding campaign that saw him become the tournament’s top scorer with 13 goals.

– The end

Issued by:

Kingshuk Kusari

Published on:

June 6, 2026 6:22 PM IST