Muscat, 24 July (H.S.):

The impressive run of India’s sub-junior men’s and women’s teams continued at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026, with both teams securing dominant victories in their Elite Pool matches on Thursday.

The Indian women’s team delivered a commanding performance, defeating Kazakhstan 10-0, while the men’s team defeated Bangladesh 8-3 to maintain their unbeaten run in the tournament.

In the women’s competition, India started the match on an aggressive note, with Naushin Naz scoring two quick goals in the opening minute to give the team an early 2-0 lead. India maintained its advantage until halftime before completely dominating the second half and scoring eight more goals to seal a one-sided victory.

Player of the Match Sandeepa Kumari produced a brilliant performance, completing her hat-trick with goals in the 11th, 16th and 18th minutes. Naushin Naz continued her outstanding display by scoring four goals in the 1st, 11th, 15th and 20th minutes.

Kiran Ekka (15th minute), Neelam Topno (17th minute) and Pushpa Manjhi (19th minute) also contributed with goals as India registered a comprehensive win over Kazakhstan.

In the men’s category, India faced a strong challenge from Bangladesh in the first half. Indian captain and Player of the Match Ketan Kushwaha scored twice in the 4th and 8th minutes, while Shahrukh Ali added another goal in the 3rd minute to help India take a 3-2 lead.

Bangladesh kept the contest competitive, with Mohammad Hossain scoring in the 6th minute and Sohrab Soton finding the net in the 8th minute to keep hopes alive.

However, India took complete control in the second half. Ketan Kushwaha completed his four-goal haul by scoring twice more in the 12th and 15th minutes. Romit Pal (13th minute), Prahlad Rajbhar (14th minute) and Rahul Yadav (18th minute) also scored one goal each to secure India’s 8-3 victory.

For Bangladesh, Sohrab Soton scored his second goal of the match in the 11th minute, but it was not enough to prevent defeat.

India’s women’s team will next face China and Uzbekistan, while the men’s team will take on Oman and Pakistan on July 24.

The FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship also serves as the Asian qualifying tournament for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, making it a crucial event for young teams aiming to secure a place on the global stage.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar