Muscat, 25 July (H.S.): The Indian sub-junior men's hockey team continued its dominant run in the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026, defeating arch-rivals Pakistan 7-3 on Friday to secure a place in the final. Earlier in the day, India had also registered an emphatic 10-1 victory over hosts Oman.

Meanwhile, the Indian sub-junior women's team made a remarkable comeback after suffering a defeat against China, thrashing Uzbekistan 10-0 to book a place in the semi-finals, where they will face Kazakhstan.

In the most anticipated men's match of the tournament, India adopted an aggressive approach right from the start. Goals from Romit Pal (8th minute), Karan Gautam (10th minute) and captain Ketan Kushwaha (10th minute) gave India a commanding 3-0 lead at half-time.

Prahlad Rajbhar extended India's advantage to 4-0 in the 12th minute after the restart. Pakistan responded through Mohammad Usman, who scored in the 12th and 15th minutes, while captain Adeel added another goal in the 17th minute. However, strikes from Shahrukh Ali (16th minute), Rahul Yadav (18th minute) and Ketan Kushwaha (20th minute) sealed a memorable 7-3 victory for India.

Earlier in the day, the Indian men's team had overwhelmed hosts Oman 10-1 in their opening fixture. India raced to a 6-0 lead by half-time, with Shahrukh Ali and Ketan Kushwaha scoring two goals each, while Karan Gautam and Prahlad Rajbhar added one goal apiece.

In the second half, Kushwaha completed his four-goal haul, while Gautam and Rajbhar also scored their second goals of the match. Oman’s only goal came through Khazraj Subait Al-Mashrafi.

In the women's competition, India suffered a 3-6 defeat against China in their opening match. The contest was evenly poised at 3-3 at half-time, with Sandeepa Kumari and Kiran Ekka finding the net for India. However, China dominated the second half to secure victory.

The Indian women responded emphatically in their second match, crushing Uzbekistan 10-0. Nausheen Naz starred with a hat-trick, while Sandeepa Kumari scored twice. Shruti Kumari, Kiran Ekka, Sweety Kujur, Neelam Topno and Diya also found the scoresheet with one goal each to complete a comprehensive win.

With the conclusion of the pool stage, the Indian men's team will once again take on Pakistan in the final on Saturday, July 25. The Indian women's team, meanwhile, will face Kazakhstan in the second semi-final.

The tournament also serves as the Asian qualifying event for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar