India's junior men's and women's hockey teams have arrived in Moqi, China, as defending champions ahead of the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026, scheduled from 4 to 13 September. Both squads enter the continental tournament backed by extensive international preparation and the weight of recent title runs, aiming to open their campaigns on a dominant note.

Women's Team: Two-Time Champions Eye a Third

The Indian junior women's team, winners of the AHF Junior Asia Cup in the last two editions, will be led by midfielder Khaidem Shileima Chanu. The squad has trained under newly appointed coach Tim White, who took charge earlier this year and has overseen a structured build-up over several months in Bengaluru.

As part of their pre-tournament preparation, an extended squad undertook an exposure tour of the United Kingdom, playing seven high-intensity matches against Scotland Senior Women, USA U-21, England U-21, and Belgium U-21. The tour was designed to sharpen tactical understanding, improve match readiness, and expose the players to varied styles of play at the international level.

'Our first game is against South Korea on Saturday, so we are preparing for that. The team has acclimatised well. The weather is a bit cooler in Moqi, but conditions are good, and we are really looking forward to Match 1,' said coach White. He added that the squad felt 'well prepared to play against the best teams in Asia' and expressed confidence the players would 'do India proud.'

Placed in the Elite Pool, India will open their campaign against South Korea on 5 September, followed by Malaysia on 6 September, Japan on 8 September, and hosts China on 9 September.

Men's Team: Five-Time Champions, Three in a Row

The Indian junior men's team enters the tournament as five-time AHF Junior Asia Cup champions, including winners of the last three consecutive editions. Defender Anmol Ekka will captain the side, with newly appointed coach Frederic Soyez targeting a title win in his opening assignment.

The men's squad completed an exposure tour of Belgium, facing strong U-21 sides from Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. Back home, they played a friendly series against the Malaysian U-21 side in Bengaluru, before a three-match series against hosts China in Dalian — spending a week there to acclimatise to Chinese conditions ahead of the tournament.

'Our progression has been quite good. The last game against China was very positive — it gave our confidence a huge boost heading into the tournament,' said coach Soyez. He outlined the team's goals as maintaining 'a solid defensive structure' and raising 'the level of performance with every match.'

India will begin their Pool A campaign against Indonesia on 5 September, before facing Japan on 6 September, South Korea on 8 September, and Chinese Taipei on 9 September.

What's at Stake

The AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026 is a critical proving ground for India's emerging hockey talent, with performances here feeding directly into the pipeline for senior international duty. For both squads, a successful title defence would reinforce India's dominance in Asian junior hockey — and signal the strength of the country's development structure under its new coaching appointments. The tournament concludes on 13 September.