New Delhi, 29 August (H.S.):The Indian junior women’s hockey team departed for Moqi, China, on Saturday to compete in the AHF Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2026, scheduled to be held from September 4 to 13. The 18-member Indian squad will be led by midfielder Khaidem Shilaima Chanu.

Under newly appointed head coach Tim White, the Indian team has undergone an extensive preparation programme for the tournament. The squad also undertook an important tour of Great Britain earlier this summer, gaining valuable exposure against high-quality opposition.

During the tour of Edinburgh and Lilleshall from July 5 to 14, India played seven matches against Scotland’s senior women’s team and the junior teams of the United States, England and Belgium. India defeated the United States 6-0 and recorded consecutive 2-0 victories over England. After another match against the United States ended 1-1, India prevailed 3-2 in the penalty shootout.

The tour also provided the Indian side with valuable experience of playing against Scotland’s experienced senior team and Belgium’s strong Under-21 side.

Speaking before the team’s departure, head coach Tim White said, “The team is very excited to travel to China for the Asia Cup. Our preparations have gone well. We also played four important matches against the India senior team in Bengaluru. We are confident that we have developed a strategy that will be difficult for our opponents to counter. We are now excited to test it against the best teams in Asia.”

India have been placed in the Elite Pool alongside hosts China, Japan, Korea and Malaysia. The Indian team will begin its campaign against Korea on September 5. It will then face Malaysia on September 6, Japan on September 8 and hosts China on September 9.

India’s Elite Pool fixtures:

September 5: India vs Korea — 1:00 pm

September 6: India vs Malaysia — 9:00 am

September 8: Japan vs India — 11:00 am

September 9: China vs India — 7:00 pm

Following the pool-stage matches to determine the standings, the tournament will progress to the knockout phase. The gold-medal match is scheduled to be played on September 13.

The AHF Women’s Junior Asia Cup is an important platform for Asia’s leading junior hockey teams, providing young players with an opportunity to test their skills and establish themselves against some of the continent’s strongest sides.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar