Ashish Tani Purti delivered a match-winning hat-trick as the Indian U-18 men's hockey team clinched the Men's U-18 Asia Cup 2026 title, defeating hosts Japan 4-1 in the final at Kakamigahara, Japan, on Saturday, 6 June 2026. Purti's clinical finishing, combined with a composed team display, handed India a commanding championship victory on Japanese soil.

Match-Winning Performance

Purti opened the scoring inside the first two minutes, converting a penalty corner in the 2nd minute to give India an early advantage. He struck again in the 28th minute from another penalty corner, drilling a powerful shot past the Japanese goalkeeper to double the lead. Captain Ketan Kushwaha added a third in the 30th minute, finishing coolly after Prahalad Rajbhar won the ball in a dangerous area and played him in, sending India into the break with a commanding 3-0 lead.

Purti completed his hat-trick in the 34th minute, converting yet another penalty corner following a slick run from Varinder Singh to push India to 4-0. Japan's Numada Gaku pulled one back via a penalty stroke in the 52nd minute, but the goal proved a mere consolation as India's defence held firm through three late Japanese penalty corners to seal the title.

Individual Honours

Purti was named Player of the Match for his stellar final performance and was also recognised as the tournament's Top Scorer with an impressive 13 goals. Goalkeeper Ayush Rajak was awarded Best Goalkeeper of the tournament, further underscoring India's dominance across all departments.

In the women's competition, India had earlier secured the bronze medal, with Nausheen Naz finishing as the women's tournament Top Scorer with 12 goals — a memorable double distinction for Indian hockey at the event.

Hockey India's Cash Awards

Hockey India announced a cash award of ₹3 lakh per player for the gold medal-winning U-18 men's squad and ₹1.5 lakh per member of the support staff. The U-18 women's team, who claimed bronze, will receive ₹1 lakh per player and ₹50,000 per support staff member.

India's Dominant Campaign

India's final performance was a reflection of their overall tournament strength. In the opening quarter alone, the team pressed Japan with early penalty corner threats, and their defence conceded just one goal across the entire final — a penalty stroke deep into the fourth quarter when the contest was already decided. Notably, India swept the major individual awards in both the men's and women's draws, signalling the depth of the country's junior hockey pipeline.

The victory marks a significant moment for Indian junior hockey and sets the stage for the squad's future ambitions on the global stage.