Jr Asia Cup champs India set sights on next year’s World Cup in Chennai

The Jr India team at Bangalore airport yesterday. Pic/Hockey India

A few tough matches tested the junior Indian hockey team during its successful title defence at the Junior Asia Cup and now the players are determined to do well in next year's Junior World Cup in Chennai.

The team returned to Bangalore on Thursday after a stellar campaign in Muscat, Oman, where they defeated arch-rivals Pakistan 5-3 in a thrilling final. This victory follows India's bronze medal finish at the Sultan of Johor Cup under head coach PR Sreejesh. "This is truly a proud moment for all of us, and we now look forward to the Junior World Cup in Chennai with great anticipation," vice-captain Rohit said.

"Every player contributed to this remarkable victory, and our collective effort has been truly inspiring. The tough matches, especially against Japan and Pakistan, tested our mettle, but we stayed focused, executed our plans," he added.

Also Read: Happy with bronze, but...

Placed in Pool A, India secured dominant wins over Thailand, Chinese Taipei, and Korea, before overcoming a tough challenge against Japan 3-2. Scoring 38 goals and conceding just three in the group stage, India displayed remarkable offensive and defensive prowess. In the semi-final, India beat Malaysia 3-1, while the final saw Araijeet Singh Hundal score four goals and finish as the second-highest scorer of the tournament with 10 goals.

Captain Amir Ali also hailed the team's determination. "Our journey in here was nothing short of extraordinary. Our forwards performed exceptionally, consistently breaking down defenses and creating opportunities. Winning this title for the fifth time is a testament to our pursuit of excellence," he said.

38
No. of goals India scored in their three group matches in Oman

This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever