India beat Pakistan 7-3, Oman 10-1 at FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian C'ship 2026
Synopsis
India's sub-junior men scored 17 goals across two matches in a single day at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 in Muscat — routing Oman 10-1 and then beating Pakistan 7-3 in the day's marquee fixture. With the tournament serving as the Asian qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, India's men look like the team to beat.
Key Takeaways
India's sub-junior men beat Pakistan 7-3 and Oman 10-1 on 25 July at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 in Muscat .
Captain Ketan Kushwaha scored four goals across both matches, including the clinching strike against Pakistan.
Shahrukh Ali , Karan Gautam , and Prahalad Rajbhar each scored twice in the Oman rout.
Indian women fell 3-6 to China after the match was level at 3-3 at half-time ; Guo Jiaxin completed a hat-trick for China.
The tournament is the Asian qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup .
India's sub-junior men's hockey team delivered a dominant double on 25 July at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 in Muscat, Oman, dismantling hosts Oman 10-1 before defeating arch-rivals Pakistan 7-3 later in the day. The back-to-back wins cement India's position as a frontrunner in the Elite Pool. Meanwhile, the Indian sub-junior women's side fell 3-6 to China in a contest that was level at half-time before China pulled away.
India vs Pakistan: Men's Marquee Win
In the standout fixture of the day, India seized early control and led 3-0 at half-time through goals from Romit Pal (8'), Karan Gautam (10'), and captain Ketan Kushwaha (10'). Prahalad Rajbhar (12') pushed the lead to 4-0 in the second half before Pakistan mounted a brief comeback through Muhammad Usman (12', 15') and captain Adeel (17'). India shut the door with further strikes from Shahrukh Ali (16'), Rahul Yadav (18'), and Kushwaha (20') to seal a 7-3 victory.
India vs Oman: A Scoring Masterclass
Earlier in the day, India ran riot against the hosts, racing to a 6-0 lead at half-time. Shahrukh Ali (3', 10') and Ketan Kushwaha (6', 8') each scored twice, with Karan Gautam (2') and Prahalad Rajbhar (3') also on target. The second half brought four more — Kushwaha (11', 19') completed a four-goal haul, while Gautam (15') and Rajbhar (16') netted their second goals each. Khazraj Subait Subait Al-Mashrafi (20') grabbed a late consolation for Oman.
Women's Team Fights Hard but Falls to China
The Indian women's side showed resilience in a high-scoring contest that was perfectly poised at 3-3 at the break. Sandeepa Kumari (1') gave India an early lead, and Kiran Ekka (3', 6') added a brace to match China's first-half strikes from Guo Jiaxin (2'), Ge Chen (3'), and Lu Tongtong (10'). China proved stronger in the second half as Guo Jiaxin (13', 20') completed a hat-trick and Lu Tongtong (20') scored her second to make it 6-3.
Tournament Significance
The FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 doubles as the Asian qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, raising the stakes for every result. India's men, with 17 goals scored across two matches and just 4 conceded, are emerging as strong World Cup contenders from the continent. The women's side will need to regroup quickly with the qualifier berths still in play.
Point of View
But the more significant detail is the scoreline against Pakistan — a 7-3 margin in a Hockey5s format that compresses error margins. Captain Kushwaha's four-goal performance across both games signals individual quality, yet the women's collapse in the second half against China — conceding three after a level half-time — points to a fitness or tactical gap that will need addressing before the World Cup qualifier rounds intensify. India's men look well-placed for the title; the women's path is harder.
NationPress
25 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What were India's results at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 on 25 July?
India's sub-junior men defeated Pakistan 7-3 and Oman 10-1 on 25 July in Muscat. The Indian women's team lost 3-6 to China in their Elite Pool match on the same day.
Who were the top scorers for India in the match against Pakistan?
Captain Ketan Kushwaha scored twice, while Shahrukh Ali, Rahul Yadav, Prahalad Rajbhar, Karan Gautam, and Romit Pal each added one goal apiece in India's 7-3 win over Pakistan.
What is the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026?
It is a sub-junior hockey tournament held in Muscat, Oman, featuring Asian nations competing in the Hockey5s format — a faster, five-a-side variant of field hockey. The championship also serves as the Asian qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.
Why did the Indian women's team lose to China despite being level at half-time?
India and China were tied 3-3 at half-time, but China pulled ahead in the second half through a Guo Jiaxin hat-trick and a second goal from Lu Tongtong, eventually winning 6-3. India could not match China's second-half intensity.
Who scored for India in the women's match against China?
Sandeepa Kumari opened the scoring in the first minute, and Kiran Ekka added a brace in the third and sixth minutes for India's three goals in the 3-6 defeat to China.
