The Indian men's hockey team delivered a dominant performance, crushing Chinese Taipei 13-1 in their final Pool A encounter to secure a place in the semifinals of the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 on Wednesday.
India concluded the group stage with three victories from four matches, registering wins over Kazakhstan, Korea and Chinese Taipei, while suffering their lone defeat against hosts Japan. The results earned them nine points and ensured qualification to the knockout stage.
The match against Chinese Taipei showcased India's attacking strength in full flow. Ashish Tani Purti starred with a superb hat-trick, scoring in the 27th, 35th and 42nd minutes. Gazee Khan (40th, 44th), Siddharth Ben (30th, 52nd) and Rahul Yadav (20th, 54th) chipped in with two goals each, while Karan Gautam (7th), Premchand Soy (11th), captain Ketan Kushwaha (13th) and Varinder Singh (50th) also found the back of the net.
India signalled their intent from the opening whistle, controlling possession and creating repeated opportunities through swift attacking moves. The breakthrough came in the seventh minute when Karan successfully converted India's first penalty corner of the contest. Premchand soon doubled the advantage with a well-taken field goal before captain Kushwaha struck shortly after, giving India a commanding 3-0 lead by the end of the opening quarter.
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The second quarter followed a similar pattern, with India continuing to dominate proceedings. Rahul Yadav extended the lead before Purti converted a penalty corner to make it 5-0. Siddharth then added another field goal moments before half-time, capping a highly productive quarter for the Indian side.
Chinese Taipei managed a consolation goal just before the interval when Yong-Jyun Jhang converted a penalty corner in the 30th minute, reducing the deficit to 6-1 at the break. India, however, showed no signs of easing off after half-time. Purti struck again from a penalty corner in the 35th minute to make it 7-1, before Gazee Khan joined the scoresheet with a successful conversion from another set-piece.
Purti completed his hat-trick with yet another penalty-corner goal, while Khan added his second of the game as India surged into a massive 10-1 lead heading into the final quarter.
The relentless pressure continued in the closing stages, with India's efficiency from penalty corners and open play proving too much for their opponents. Varinder Singh converted another set-piece opportunity before Siddharth Ben registered his second goal of the match. Rahul Yadav then completed the scoring with his second strike, putting the finishing touches on an emphatic team performance.
Having sealed their place in the last four in convincing fashion, India will now turn their attention to Friday's semifinal. Their opponents will be determined after the concluding Pool A fixture between Japan and Kazakhstan later on Wednesday.
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