The Indian women’s team will seek a hat-trick of titles after lifting the AHF Junior Asia Cup trophy in the last two editions. Midfielder Khaidem Shileima Chanu will lead the side, which has undergone a structured training programme under newly appointed coach Tim White, who assumed charge earlier this year.
As part of their preparations, an extended squad undertook an exposure tour of the United Kingdom and played seven high-intensity matches against Scotland Senior Women, USA U-21, England U-21 and Belgium U-21. The demanding series gave the players valuable international match experience and important exposure to different styles of play.
The tour also helped the squad strengthen its tactical understanding, improve match readiness and enhance its overall preparation for the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026. India will now look to translate those learnings into strong performances in Moqi.
“Our first game is against South Korea on Saturday, so we are preparing for that. The team has acclimatized well. The weather is a bit cooler (in Moqi), but conditions are good and we are really looking forward to Match 1,” said coach White.
“In terms of our expectations, we prepared well in Bengaluru over a number of months, including a tour of the UK and some games against a combined team. We feel our game is in good order and we are well prepared to play against the best teams in Asia. We are looking forward to seeing how our game plan is going to stand up against the best teams. I am sure the girls will do India proud,” he added.
Placed in the Elite Pool, India will begin its campaign against South Korea on September 5. The team will then face Malaysia on September 6, followed by matches against Japan on September 8 and hosts China on September 9.
The Indian junior men’s team will also enter the AHF Junior Asia Cup as defending champions, having won the continental title five times, including the last three editions. Defender Anmol Ekka will captain the side, while newly appointed coach Frederic Soyez will aim to begin his tenure with a title win.
The squad has undergone extensive preparation ahead of the tournament. A key part of the build-up was an exposure tour of Belgium, where the team competed against strong international U-21 opposition from Austria, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands. The tour provided valuable competitive experience and allowed the players to test their tactical and technical capabilities against high-quality opposition.
The team further strengthened its match preparation through friendly games at home against the Malaysian U-21 side in Bengaluru, followed by a three-match series against hosts China in Dalian. The fixtures provided additional game-time, helping the players build combinations, assess their preparations and develop greater match readiness before arriving in Moqi.
“Our progression has been quite good. The last (friendly) game against China (an 8-2 win for India) was very positive,” said coach Soyez. “It gave our confidence a huge boost heading into the tournament. We spent one week in Dalian, getting used to the conditions in China, before arriving in Moqi ahead of our opening match against Indonesia on Saturday.”
“Our main expectation from this tournament is to keep progressing and become more confident and consistent, maintain solid defensive structure and raise our level of performance with every match,” Soyez added.
India will open its Pool A campaign against Indonesia on September 5. The title-holders will then face Japan on September 6, followed by matches against South Korea on September 8 and Chinese Taipei on September 9.
With both Indian teams arriving as defending champions after comprehensive preparation programmes, the AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026 will provide another opportunity for India’s emerging hockey talent to compete at the highest level in Asia and build towards the next stage of their international careers.
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