India's Junior Men's Hockey Team Dominates Indonesia in AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026

India's Impressive Victory in Opening Match

Moqi, Sep 5: The Junior Men's Hockey Team of India kicked off their title defense at the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026 with an astonishing 14-0 win against Indonesia during their first Pool A match on Saturday. The team, led by Captain Anmol Ekka, along with Prabhdeep Singh and Ajeet Yadav, showcased their prowess by netting 12 goals collectively, asserting their dominance as five-time champions.

Prabhdeep emerged as the standout player, scoring five goals and earning the 'Player of the Match' accolade. Anmol contributed four goals, while Yadav completed his hat-trick with three goals. Harpal and Ashu Maurya added two more goals, ensuring India maintained relentless pressure throughout the game.

From the outset, India's aggressive strategy was clear as they consistently penetrated the Indonesian circle, creating numerous scoring chances. Prabhdeep initiated the scoring in the fifth minute, giving India an early lead, followed by Harpal, who doubled the score in the eighth minute. Indonesia struggled to match the speed and agility of the Indian offense, concluding the first quarter with India leading 2-0.

In the second quarter, the Indian forwards continued to exploit openings. Anmol scored his first goal in the 16th minute from a penalty stroke, and Yadav added another four minutes later, bringing the score to 4-0. Prabhdeep then took over, netting goals in the 26th and 30th minutes, completing his hat-trick and leading India to a 6-0 advantage at halftime.

After the break, Indonesia faced continued pressure as India dominated possession. Anmol was particularly effective, scoring from penalty corners in the 35th and 42nd minutes, increasing his tally. Prabhdeep scored again just before the end of the third quarter, making it 9-0.

The final quarter was the most prolific, with India scoring five additional goals. Anmol completed his four-goal performance in the 51st minute, followed by Prabhdeep, who scored his fifth a minute later. Yadav capped off his hat-trick with two goals in the 53rd minute, leading to a 13-0 scoreline. Maurya concluded the match with a goal from a penalty corner in the 59th minute, finalizing the score at 14-0.

India's scoring was well-distributed, with nine field goals, four penalty-corner conversions, and one penalty stroke. Anmol successfully converted three penalty corners and the penalty stroke, while Maurya scored from the fourth set-piece.

This defeat marked Indonesia's second consecutive loss, following a 0-9 defeat to South Korea. They currently sit fifth in Pool A, trailing Chinese Taipei, who lost 0-7 to Japan.

With three points from this match, India is tied with Japan and South Korea but leads Pool A on goal difference, marking a strong start to their campaign.