~ India defeated Pakistan 5-3 in a thrilling semi-final and will face hosts Japan in the title match on Saturday in Kakamigahara ~
Kakamigahara, Japan, 6 June 2026: Following a thrilling 5-3 victory over arch-rivals Pakistan in the semi-final of the U18 Men’s Asia Cup 2026, a confident Indian U18 Men’s Hockey Team is all set to take on hosts Japan in the final on Saturday. The match promises to be an exciting clash as India look to settle the score against the home side, who defeated them 4-2 during the pool stage of the tournament.
Japan hammered Malaysia 8-1 in the first semi-final to book a spot in the title clash.
Both teams have enjoyed an impressive run in the tournament so far. India began the tournament with a big win against Kazakhstan and after their lone group-stage defeat against Japan, they bounced back in style with dominant wins over Korea and Chinese Taipei before their spectacular final-quarter comeback against Pakistan in the semis. Meanwhile, the host nation enters the final with an unbeaten record, using its home advantage to deliver highly consistent performances throughout the tournament.
Eyes will once again be on India’s star defender and drag-flicker Ashish Tani Purti, who leads the overall goal-scoring charts with 10 goals, including his crucial four-goal haul in the semi-final against Pakistan. For Japan, forward Yoga Inukai has been the primary threat, leading his team’s scoring list with five goals so far.
Speaking ahead of the final, the Indian team’s Coach, Sardar Singh, credited the players’ discipline and hard work.
Reflecting on the emotional win against Pakistan, the Coach said, “Credit completely goes to the hard work and dedication of the entire team over the last two months. In the fourth quarter against Pakistan, we decided to play all-out, full-press hockey and go one-on-one with high energy. I told the boys that the hard work we did in Bhopal over the last two months in 45-degrees temperature meant they deserved to win. They showed their calibre and have worked hard to reach the final.”
The Coach also highlighted the instructions given to the team when they were trailing 2-3 in the third quarter against Pakistan.
“We discussed that individual tasks and the team structure had to be followed for the full 60 minutes with energy and 100 per cent effort. I told the boys that the target is to play good hockey and not worry about the final result. Even when we were down to 10 players in the last few minutes, we continued to attack. We won our one-on-one battles, created penalty corners and Purti gave us the lead at the perfect time.”
Looking ahead to the summit clash against Japan, Sardar Singh emphasized tactical discipline and collective focus.
“Japan is a very good team and they are performing very well in this tournament. In the debriefing we did after our pool-stage loss against them, we identified a lot of technical and tactical areas where we needed to work. We will have detailed video analysis and individual meetings to prepare. Our task is to focus on what we are doing with absolute discipline and 100 per cent effort. We will have the same focus, but I also want the boys to go out there and enjoy playing in the final,” he concluded.
The Live Stream of India vs Japan U18 Men’s Asia Cup 2026 Final will be available here: https://www.youtube.com/live/A_U7lWNlpb4?si=Et19Z1WhOrCandNt
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