India Beat South Korea 4-1 to Win Record Sixth Junior Men's Hockey Asia Cup

India's junior men's hockey team delivered a commanding performance in Moqi, China, on Sunday, beating South Korea 4-1 in the final to lift the Junior Men's Hockey Asia Cup for a record sixth time and confirm their qualification for the FIH Junior World Cup.

A Dominant Start

India set the tone early, with forward Ajeet Yadav opening the scoring in the 9th minute through a well-placed deflection. Captain Anmol Ekka doubled the lead just four minutes later, converting a scoring opportunity to put India firmly in control inside the first quarter. Korea earned a penalty corner late in the opening quarter in search of a way back into the contest, but India's defensive unit held firm and conceded nothing, setting the pattern for much of the match that followed.

Building An Unassailable Lead

India continued to press through the second quarter, with Prabhdeep Singh producing a sharp finish in the 21st minute to extend the lead to 3-0. Korea tried to respond but found India's defence compact and disciplined throughout, and the two sides went into the half-time break with India firmly ahead. The Indian side carried that same intensity into the second half, earning a string of penalty corner opportunities in the final quarter. Korea's players defended stoutly at first, keeping out a barrage of attempts, but India's pressure eventually told when a review overturned an unsuccessful Korean referral and handed India another penalty corner chance, which forward Ashu Maurya converted in the 50th minute to make it 4-0.

Korea's Late Reply

With the contest already decided, Korea did manage a moment of reprieve when they were awarded a penalty stroke following a foul inside the circle. Captain Lee Minhyeok stepped up and converted from the spot in the 54th minute, giving Korea a consolation goal but doing little to change the outcome of a match India had controlled from the opening whistle.

A Historic Sixth Title

The victory extends India's record as the most successful side in the tournament's history, with the team now having won the Junior Asia Cup in 2004, 2008, 2015, 2023, 2024 and now 2026. Beyond the title itself, the win carries significant weight for Indian hockey's pipeline, confirming a place at the FIH Junior World Cup where this group of players will get the chance to test themselves against the world's best junior sides. Hockey India moved quickly to reward the squad, announcing cash incentives of Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh for every member of the support staff in recognition of the achievement. For a country that has invested heavily in age-group hockey programmes in recent years, a sixth continental crown at the junior level offers further evidence that the investment is translating into consistent results on the biggest stages available to the country's young players.

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