New Delhi [India], June 8 (ANI): The Indian Under-18 men's and women's hockey teams received a warm reception at Delhi airport on Monday after their successful campaigns at the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Japan, where the men's side clinched a gold medal, and the women's team settled for a bronze medal.

The Indian men's team was crowned champions after a dominant 4-1 victory over hosts Japan in the final at Kakamigahara on Saturday. Ashish Tani Purti starred with a hat-trick, scoring in the 2nd, 28th and 34th minutes, while captain Ketan Kushwaha added another goal in the 30th minute. Numada Gaku scored the lone goal for Japan.

Speaking to ANI on the team's return, captain Ketan Kushwaha expressed delight over the achievement and praised the collective effort that led to the title.

'We are very happy as we won the Asia Cup in Japan. Everyone played well. We went there and had a 40-day camp. We are very happy to be returning to our country victorious. Whenever the team needed him, Ashish scored for the team. We wanted to play against Japan after losing once, and when we got to play against Japan in the final, we were full of enthusiasm. We will try our best now to win gold in the Olympics,' Kushwaha said.

Head coach Sardar Singh credited the team's preparation and unity for the success.

'I am very happy. Considering the time that we got, 1-2 months, the team played really well. As the time was very scarce, we focused on team bonding and requirements in international games; I think these things helped them a lot to perform well. The team played well and executed the plan really well, which got us the results,' Singh said.

Player of the Match in the final, Ashish Tani Purti, said the squad remained determined throughout the tournament.

'I'm very happy with how we played. We had a resolve as a team that no matter which team we faced next, we simply had to beat them. We were determined to defeat the Japanese team, even though it was their home ground,' he said.

To recognise the achievement, Hockey India announced a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh for each player of the gold medal-winning men's team and Rs 1.5 lakh for each member of the support staff.

Meanwhile, the Indian women's U-18 team ended their campaign on a high by defeating Korea 3-0 in the bronze-medal match. Sandeepa Kumari, captain Sweety Kujur and Nousheen Naz scored the goals as India secured a podium finish.

The bronze medal capped a promising tournament for the Indian women, who scored 36 goals and displayed impressive attacking flair and defensive resilience throughout the competition.

Captain Sweety Kujur said the team had learned valuable lessons from the campaign.

'We played really well as a team, but in the end, we let the pressure get to us, which is why we lost. Before the actual training, our Coach taught many things, such as discipline, respect, and helping one another. There is a specific kind of discipline in sports that elevates an athlete, so we were taught that well, alongside the actual training. Our goal for the next tournament is to aim higher. Having won bronze, we want to work even harder and bring home the gold,' Kujur told ANI.

Head coach Rani Rampal said the team had initially targeted the title but was pleased with the experience gained by the young squad.

'Honestly, we had different expectations; given the training and matches we had played, we went in thinking we would come back with the gold medal. However, looking back at the tournament, playing in a semi-final was a first-time opportunity for these girls. Still, achieving a podium finish in their first tournament is a huge boost for the future. There is immense potential in these kids. These are the very players who could be competing in the 2032 and 2036 Olympics,' Rampal said.

Praising striker Nousheen Naz, who finished the tournament with 12 goals, Rampal added, 'Nousheen Naz deserves praise. Scoring 12 goals in a tournament is no easy feat. That said, I believe that without good defence and teammates passing her the ball, she wouldn't be able to score either; everyone contributes significantly to the team's success. But her future is very bright; she possesses that goal-scoring knack we need for the Indian team, because winning is difficult unless we score goals.'

Naz expressed satisfaction with her performance and the team's overall showing.

'I am happy with my performance. The team performed really well. Now, we plan to work even harder,' she said.

Hockey India also announced a cash reward of Rs 1 lakh for each player of the bronze medal-winning women's team and Rs 50,000 for each member of the support staff. (ANI)