Under-18 Hockey Asia Cup: Japan Defeats India 4-2 in 'Pool A' Match
Kakamigahara, May 31. In the 'Pool A' match of the Under-18 Asia Cup 2026, the Indian men's team faced a 2-4 defeat against the host Japan.
In this match played on Sunday, Ashish Tani Purti and captain Ketan Kushwaha scored for India, while Japan's goals came from captain Yoshioaka Mahiro, Fujiwara Yuma, Yasui Kengo, and Takahashi Aone. India's next match will be against Korea on June 1. The first quarter of the match was quite tough, with both teams struggling for ball possession in midfield.
However, Japan broke the deadlock in the 15th minute. The host team employed an excellent strategy, with Watanabe Atsuhiro passing the ball to captain Yoshioaka Mahiro, who scored with a dive. Shortly after, in the second quarter, Fujiwara Yuma found space on the left flank and deceived his marker, scoring with a powerful backhand shot into the upper right corner to double the host's lead.
Five minutes later, India earned their first penalty corner of the day, which was successfully converted into a goal by Ashish Tani Purti's precise shot in the 25th minute. India started the second half strongly, equalizing in the 32nd minute. The visiting team received a penalty corner, which was initially saved by the Japanese goalkeeper.
However, Japan failed to clear the ball in time, and captain Ketan Kushwaha pounced on the loose ball, chipping it over the goalkeeper to level the score. Japan received another penalty corner in the 34th minute, which was again converted into a goal through a different strategy. This time, Watanabe Atsuhiro passed to Yasui Kengo, who tapped the ball into the net.
With three minutes remaining in the third quarter, Japan extended their lead with a field goal from Takahashi Aone in the 42nd minute. India attempted to make a comeback in the final quarter with several attacks, but Japan held their ground and ensured their goal remained safe until the end of the match, thus securing three points.
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