India Men Reach FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship Final; Women Enter Semi-Finals After 10-0 Win Over Uzbekistan

The Indian Sub-Junior Men's Team continued its impressive run at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 in Muscat, Oman, securing victories over hosts Oman and arch-rivals Pakistan to qualify for the final. Meanwhile, the Indian Sub-Junior Women's Team rebounded from a defeat to China with a commanding 10-0 win over Uzbekistan to seal a place in the semi-finals.

The tournament also serves as the Asian qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, adding further significance to the teams' performances.

India Men Outclass Pakistan to Reach Final

In the marquee clash of the day, India defeated Pakistan 7-3 with an attacking display that saw the team establish complete control early in the contest.

India raced to a 3-0 lead by half-time through goals from Romit Pal (8'), Karan Gautam (10') and captain Ketan Kushwaha (10'). Soon after the restart, Prahalad Rajbhar (12') made it 4-0 before Pakistan attempted a comeback.

Pakistan reduced the deficit through Muhammad Usman (12', 15') and captain Adeel (17'), but India remained firmly in control as Shahrukh Ali (16'), Rahul Yadav (18') and Kushwaha (20') completed an emphatic 7-3 victory.

India Begin the Day with 10-1 Win Over Oman

Earlier, India overwhelmed hosts Oman 10-1 in another dominant performance.

The Indian side stormed into a 6-0 half-time lead courtesy of two goals each from Shahrukh Ali (3', 10') and Ketan Kushwaha (6', 8'), while Karan Gautam (2') and Prahalad Rajbhar (3') also found the net.

India maintained the momentum in the second half as Kushwaha completed a four-goal haul with strikes in the 11th and 19th minutes. Gautam (15') and Rajbhar (16') added their second goals of the match before Khazraj Subait Subait Al-Mashrafi (20') scored Oman's only goal.

Women Bounce Back After China Defeat

The Indian Sub-Junior Women's Team recovered strongly after suffering a 6-3 defeat to China in their first Elite Pool match of the day.

India had matched China in an entertaining first half, which ended 3-3, with Sandeepa Kumari (1') and Kiran Ekka (3', 6') getting on the scoresheet. However, China pulled away after the break to claim the victory.

Clinical 10-0 Victory Over Uzbekistan

India responded in emphatic fashion by defeating Uzbekistan 10-0 to secure a place in the knockout stage.

The Indian women dominated throughout, opening a 7-0 lead at half-time. Nousheen Naz starred with a hat-trick (3', 7', 17'), while Sandeepa Kumari (7', 13') scored twice.

Shruti Kumari (1'), Kiran Ekka (3'), Sweety Kujur (4'), Nilam Topno (6') and Diya (12') also scored to complete a comprehensive victory.

Knockout Fixtures Confirmed

Following the conclusion of the pool stage, the Indian Men's Team will once again face Pakistan in Saturday's final as they chase the championship title.

The Indian Women's Team will take on Kazakhstan in Semi-Final 2 on July 25, with a place in the final at stake. Victory would also move India a step closer to qualifying for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup through the Asian qualifying tournament.

(Inputs from Press Release)