India Sweeps Junior Asia Cup Hockey Titles

India reaffirmed its dominance in Asian junior hockey by winning both the men’s and women’s titles at the recently concluded Junior Asia Cups in China.

Following 10 days of competition at the Moqi Training Base, the Indian teams retained their continental crowns and secured qualification for the 2027 FIH Junior Hockey World Cups. The tournaments served as Asia’s primary qualification pathway for the global events.

Asian teams have struggled to make a significant impact at recent Junior World Cups, and India will look to translate its continental success into a top-four finish on the global stage. The venues for the 2027 men’s and women’s tournaments have yet to be announced, giving the qualified teams time to address weaknesses and strengthen their preparations.

Tamil Nadu hosted the previous edition of the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup, while Santiago hosted the women’s tournament.

Indian Women Claim Third Consecutive Title

The women’s competition featured Challenger and Elite pools, with the top four teams qualifying for the 2027 FIH Junior Women’s World Cup.

Defending champion India captured a historic third consecutive title after defeating host China 1-0 in a tightly contested final.

India reached the championship match with a commanding 5-1 semifinal victory over South Korea. In the final, Sanika Chandrakant Mane scored the decisive goal in the 17th minute to secure the title.

Mane finished as the tournament’s joint leading scorer with seven goals, sharing the honor with Bangladesh’s Sharika Rimon.

China, led by tournament Best Player Wei Qixiao, advanced to the final after an emphatic 6-0 semifinal victory over Japan. The host nation finished with the silver medal and secured its place at the World Cup.

Japan defeated South Korea 2-0 in the third-place playoff, with Renka Tetsuka and Momoka Suzuki scoring the goals. India, China, Japan and South Korea claimed Asia’s four qualification places for the 2027 FIH Junior Women’s World Cup.

Indian Men Secure Record Sixth Crown

Six World Cup qualification places were available in the men’s competition.

Defending champion India extended its record at the continental level by winning a sixth Junior Asia Cup title. Captain Anmol Ekka led the campaign with 17 goals, finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer.

India advanced to the final with a 3-1 semifinal victory over Malaysia. South Korea earned the other place in the championship match by defeating Pakistan 4-1, reaching its first Junior Asia Cup final since 2008.

India proved too strong in the final, recording a 4-1 victory over South Korea to retain the title.

Pakistan recovered from its semifinal defeat to beat Malaysia 4-2 in the bronze-medal playoff. Japan secured fifth place with a 3-1 victory over host China.

India, South Korea, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan and China qualified for the 2027 FIH Junior Men’s World Cup by finishing among the tournament’s top six teams.

The two tournaments highlighted the pace and technical development of junior hockey across Asia. The 10 qualified teams, comprising six men’s and four women’s squads, will now begin preparations to compete against the world’s leading junior teams in 2027.

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