India Sub-Junior Men Win AHF Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 Gold

Sardar Singh Leads Sub-Junior Men to Perfection in Muscat

New Delhi, July 26: Indian hockey coaches Sardar Singh and Rani Rampal hailed the determination, discipline, and fearless approach shown by India’s young hockey stars after the Indian Sub-Junior Men’s Team clinched the Gold Medal and the Indian Sub-Junior Women’s Team secured the Silver Medal at the inaugural AHF Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026. Both impressive campaigns also secured India’s place at the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, highlighting the nation’s rapid rise as a force in the shorter and more dynamic version of the sport.

Under the guidance of coach Sardar Singh, the Indian Sub-Junior Men’s Team finished the AHF Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 with a record of seven victories in Muscat. The squad opened the tournament with back-to-back wins against Bangladesh, posting 7-3 and 8-3 scorelines, before dismantling hosts Oman 14-0 and 10-1 in a dominant double-header.

The team maintained its momentum through the Elite Pool by defeating Pakistan twice with convincing 7-4 and 7-3 margins. That set up a decisive title clash against the same rivals, where India overcame Pakistan 3-1 to complete an unbeaten title-winning run and etch their names into the history books.

Coach Sardar Singh stated that he was immensely proud of the character and commitment shown by every player throughout the tournament, adding that winning all their matches, including three victories against Pakistan, reflects the hard work the boys have put in over the past few months, and that this gold medal and qualification for the FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup are richly deserved and will give these youngsters tremendous confidence for the future.

Support Systems and National Training Camps Fuel the Campaign

Reflecting on the historic triumph, the former India captain credited institutional backing for preparing the squad to handle international pressure. The national coaching setup relied heavily on facilities provided ahead of the tournament.

Sardar acknowledged Hockey India for its continuous investment in youth development and praised Punjab University for hosting the national coaching camp. According to the team leadership, the world-class training facilities and infrastructure created the ideal environment for preparation, and it played an important role in the team’s success in Muscat.

Rani Leads Indian Women to Silver and World Cup Qualification

The Indian Sub-Junior Women’s Team matched the men’s qualification milestone under the leadership of head coach Rani, finishing the tournament as runners-up with a silver medal after a series of impressive performances.

The women’s squad started their campaign with commanding victories over Kazakhstan (8-3 and 10-0) and routed Uzbekistan 16-0 and 10-0 in successive matches. After a 2-2 draw and a 6-3 defeat against China in the league phase, the young side rebounded by thrashing Kazakhstan 8-1 in the semi-finals to secure a place in the championship match. Although they fell 4-2 to China in the final, the Silver medal capped off a memorable campaign and confirmed India’s qualification alongside the men at the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.

Coach Rani expressed incredible pride in the way the girls approached every match, noting that finishing runners-up in the inaugural championship and securing qualification for the FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup is a fantastic achievement for such a young team, and while they were aiming for the Gold medal, reaching their first international final is an important milestone because the experience of competing under pressure on the biggest stage will only help these players mature, build confidence, and prepare them for even greater challenges in the future.

Rani also thanked Hockey India for its unwavering support towards the development of young players and for ensuring that the team had the best possible preparation, while extending her heartfelt gratitude to the Government of Madhya Pradesh for hosting their national coaching camp at the Madhya Pradesh State Shooting Academy in Bhopal.