Indian men’s and women’s teams ready for AHF Junior Asia Cup challenge in China

Moqi, Sep 3(IANS) The Indian junior men’s and women’s hockey teams are set to defend their respective crowns at the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026, scheduled to be held from September 4 to 13. Both teams arrive at the tournament with strong credentials and extensive preparation, looking to launch their title defence on a winning note.

The Indian women’s team lifted the AHF Junior Asia Cup trophy in the last two editions and will be led by midfielder Khaidem Shileima Chanu this time. The team has undergone a structured training programme under newly appointed coach Tim White, who assumed charge earlier this year.

As part of their preparations for the continental tournament, an extended squad undertook a valuable exposure tour of the United Kingdom, where they played seven high-intensity matches against Scotland Senior Women, USA U-21, England U-21 and Belgium U-21. The demanding series provided the players with valuable international match experience while offering important learnings across different styles of play.

The exposure tour also helped the squad sharpen its tactical understanding, improve match readiness and strengthen its overall preparedness ahead of the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026.

“Our first game is against South Korea on Saturday, so we are preparing for that. The team has acclimatised well. The weather is a bit cooler (in Moqi), but conditions are good, and we are really looking forward to Match 1,” said coach White.

“In terms of our expectations, we prepared well in Bengaluru over a number of months, including a tour of the UK and some games against a combined team. We feel our game is in good order and we are well prepared to play against the best teams in Asia. We are looking forward to seeing how our game plan is going to stand up against the best teams. I am sure the girls will do India proud,” he added.

India, placed in the Elite Pool, will begin its campaign against South Korea on September 5. The team will then face Malaysia on September 6, before taking on Japan on September 8 and hosts China on September 9.

The Indian junior men’s team will also enter the AHF Junior Asia Cup as defending champions, having won the continental title five times, including the last three editions. Defender Anmol Ekka will captain the side, while newly appointed coach Frederic Soyez will aim to begin his tenure with a title win.

The squad has extensively prepared for the tournament, including an exposure tour of Belgium. During this tour, they faced strong international U-21 teams from Austria, Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. This experience provided valuable competitive play and an opportunity to evaluate their tactical and technical skills against top-level opponents.

The team further strengthened its match preparation with a series of friendly games at home against the Malaysian U-21 side in Bengaluru, followed by a three-match series against the hosts, China, in Dalian.

“Our progression has been quite good. The last game against China was very positive,” said coach Soyez. “It gave our confidence a huge boost heading into the tournament. We spent one week in Dalian, getting used to the conditions in China, before arriving in Moqi ahead of our opening match against Indonesia on Saturday.”

“Our main expectation from this tournament is to keep progressing and become more confident and consistent, maintain solid defensive structure and raise our level of performance with every match,” Soyez added.

India will start their Pool A campaign by playing Indonesia on September 5. The reigning champions will then compete against Japan on September 6, followed by encounters with South Korea on September 8 and Chinese Taipei on September 9.

With both Indian teams arriving as defending champions and having completed comprehensive preparation programmes, the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026 presents another important opportunity for India’s emerging hockey talent to compete at the highest level in Asia and build towards the next stage of their international careers.

–IANS

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