India's Men's and Women's Teams Begin FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 with Dominant Wins

The Indian Sub-Junior Men's and Women's Teams opened their campaigns at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship 2026 with commanding victories in Muscat, Oman, on Monday. The women's team defeated Kazakhstan 8-3, while the men's team secured a convincing 7-3 win over Bangladesh to begin the tournament on a positive note.

The championship also serves as the Asian qualifier for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, making every match crucial in the race for qualification.

Indian Women Outclass Kazakhstan 8-3

Placed in the Elite Pool, the Indian women's team delivered an impressive attacking performance against Kazakhstan to register an emphatic 8-3 victory.

Diya starred with a second-half hat-trick, scoring in the 14th, 15th and 20th minutes. She was well supported by Sandeepa Kumari, who netted twice in the third and 12th minutes, while Nousheen Naz also scored a brace in the sixth and ninth minutes. Nilam Topno added India's seventh-minute goal as the team established complete control of the contest.

India raced into a commanding lead during the opening half and maintained the same attacking intensity after the restart, with Diya's clinical finishing putting the result beyond doubt.

Kazakhstan's goals came through Dilnaz Nigmetzhanova (17', 18') and Yasmin Seiitzhan (20').

Indian Men Defeat Bangladesh 7-3

The Indian men's team also made an impressive start, defeating Bangladesh 7-3 in their opening Elite Pool fixture.

Rahul Yadav opened the scoring in the second minute before Karan Gautam doubled India's advantage two minutes later. Captain Ketan Kushwaha led from the front with two goals in the eighth and 14th minutes, while Romit Pal also struck twice in the 10th and 15th minutes. Prahalad Rajbhar completed India's scoring with a goal in the 16th minute.

Bangladesh attempted to fight back through goals from Nure (2'), Sabbir Rahman (5') and Md. Islam (14'), but India remained in control throughout the encounter and responded effectively whenever their opponents threatened to reduce the deficit.

Strong Start to World Cup Qualification Campaign

Both Indian teams now have valuable early momentum in the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship, which doubles as the qualifying tournament for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.

With dominant performances on the opening day, the Indian men's and women's squads have strengthened their hopes of progressing further in the competition as they continue their quest for continental success and World Cup qualification.

(Inputs from Press Release)