Bhopal, May 21: Hockey India has announced an 18-member squad for the Men’s Under-18 Asia Cup 2026, set to commence on May 29 and run until June 6 in Kakamegahra, Japan.
The selection followed an intensive national coaching camp held at the Uddhav Das Mehta Central Centre in Bhopal, overseen by the coaching staff, including Sardar Singh and Rajneesh Mishra. As part of their preparations, the Indian team played a high-profile series against the Australian Under-18 team in Bhopal, winning one match, losing one, and drawing two.
Forward Ketan Kushwaha will captain the team as they prepare to compete against the top youth teams in Asia. The Indian team faces a challenging group stage before advancing to the knockout rounds. They will kick off their campaign against Kazakhstan on May 29, followed by a thrilling match against hosts Japan on May 31.
The team’s schedule includes matches against South Korea on June 1 and Chinese Taipei on June 3, with the top teams advancing to the semifinals on June 5. The tournament will conclude with the final and classification matches on June 6.
The Indian Under-18 Men’s Team includes:
Goalkeepers: Sawan Kumar, Ayush Rajak.
Defenders: Ansh Bahutara, Arman Soreng, Ashish Purti, Arshdeep Singh, Avi Manikpuri, Romit Pal.
Midfielders: Rahul Yadav, Premchand Soy, Varinder Singh, Karan Gautam, Siddharth Ben.
Forwards: Ketan Kushwaha (Captain), Akash Deep, Ghazi Khan, Shah Rukh Ali, Prahlad Rajbhar.
Match Schedule:
– May 29: India vs Kazakhstan (9:30 AM)
– May 31: India vs Japan (1:30 PM)
– June 1: India vs South Korea (3:30 PM)
– June 3: India vs Chinese Taipei (1:30 PM)