India win Men's Junior Hockey Asia Cup for fourth time in a row, beat South Korea in final

The Indian men's team won the Junior Hockey Asia Cup on Sunday after beating South Korea 4-1 in the summit clash. This marked the fourth consecutive time that India brought the silverware home, having previously won the 2015, 2023, and 2024 editions of the tournament. With the 2026 Asia Cup win, India became the first team in the sport's history to win the competition four times in a row. Overall, this was the sixth time that India have emerged triumphant in the Men's Junior Hockey Asia Cup. Earlier in the day, the women's team had also won the competition after beating China 1-0 in the summit clash.

Both the Indian men's and women's teams also secured berths in the Junior World Cup following their victories in the Asia Cup.

Ajeet Yadav, a product of Uttar Pradesh Hockey, opened the scoring for India in the final, and his goal in the ninth minute of the first quarter gave the defending champions an early lead and momentum in the fixture.

Also Read: India beat China to win Junior Women's Asia Cup, Hockey India announce cash prize for players and support staff

By the time the halfway mark was reached, India had taken a 3-0 lead, sitting comfortably and well within sight of yet another title in the continental tournament. Ashu Maurya then helped India extend its lead to 4-0 by converting a penalty corner in the fourth and final quarter, as a listless South Korea struggled on all fronts. South Korea did manage to peg one goal back, but it was all too late, and India held its ground to win the final 4-1 to take the title home.

Prior to the final, India had won three games and drawn one to top the group, finishing one point ahead of the other finalist, South Korea. The semi-finals saw India beating Malaysia 3-1, while the other knockout tie saw South Korea outclassing Pakistan 4-1.

On Sunday, Pakistan won bronze after beating Malaysia 4-2 in the third-place playoff.

Cash Prize

Earlier, Hockey India announced a reward of INR 3 lakh for each player and INR 1.5 lakh for each member of the women's team's support staff for the triumph in the Asia Cup. As of now, no word has been issued on whether the men's team would also be awarded in the same way.