India’s U-18 men’s hockey coach Sardar Singh on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s congratulatory message following the team’s Asia Cup triumph would serve as a major source of motivation for the young players as they continue their progression through the ranks.
India returned home after clinching the U-18 Hockey Asia Cup 2026 title with a dominating 4-1 victory over hosts Japan in the final at Kakamigahara on Friday, underlining the country’s strong pipeline of emerging hockey talent.
Speaking after the team’s arrival, Sardar said the reception accorded to the players reflected the growing support for hockey across the country.
“After a victory like this, all hockey lovers across the country celebrate and show their support. You can see the enthusiasm among the players, and it feels great that so many people came to welcome them,” Sardar told IANS.
The former India captain said recognition at the highest level would leave a lasting impression on the youngsters.
“It is also a positive thing that the Prime Minister congratulated the entire team. In my opinion, such recognition will motivate these young players and inspire them in the future,” he said.
Sardar said the focus now would be on ensuring that the players continue to develop and make a smooth transition from junior to senior hockey.
“Whatever plan Hockey India gives us, we will follow it accordingly. We hope to continue working with these players and develop good hockey players. They still have a lot of time ahead of them to progress from the junior level and eventually enter the senior team,” he said.
India’s triumph was built on a commanding display in the final, with Ashish Tani Purti scoring a hat-trick in the second, 28th and 34th minutes. Captain Ketan Kushwaha added another goal in the 30th minute as India outclassed Japan to lift the continental title.
Ketan credited the team’s unity and the faith shown by the coaching staff for the successful campaign.
“I would like to thank my team and our coaches for the immense support and training we received. We are very happy to have returned as champions after winning the Asia Cup. Supporting each other was the most important thing. Our coaches trusted us, and we are proud that we lived up to that trust and came back with the title,” he said.
Ashish, who finished as the hero of the final, said the squad had entered the tournament with a single-minded focus on winning the title.
“We feel very good about our performance. We were focused on winning from the beginning. It feels great that we have won the gold medal for the country,” he said.
-IANS
