U18 hockey asia cup

U18 Hockey Asia Cup: After weeks of intensive preparation camps and valuable exposure matches against Australia in Bhopal, both Indian U-18 men’s and women’s teams are aiming to make a strong impression at the the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Kakamigahara, Japan, which is scheduled from May 29 to June 6, competing against some of Asia’s top young talents.

The men's team, captained by forward Ketan Kushwaha, prepares for the tournament after a month-long training camp at the Udhav Das Mehta (Bhai Ji) Central Centre at SAI, Bhopal. The team was guided by coaches Sardar Singh and Rajnish Mishra. During their training, they played a four-match series against the visiting Australian U-18 team, achieving one win, one loss, and two draws.

India have been assigned to Pool A in the men's competition, alongside hosts Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, and Kazakhstan. They will start their campaign against Kazakhstan on May 29, followed by matches against Japan on May 31, Korea on June 1, and Chinese Taipei on June 3. Meanwhile, Pool B includes Malaysia, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and China. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals on June 5, with the final scheduled for June 6.