Ananya Lohia , Japan - The Indian U-18 men’s hockey team delivered an impressive performance to defeat Korea 4-1 in their third Pool A match of the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Kakamigahara, Japan, on Monday. Captain Ketan Kushwaha starred with a brace as India stayed firmly in contention for a semi-final spot.

India made a flying start and took the lead in just the third minute through Kushwaha, who converted a rebound after Korea’s goalkeeper blocked his initial effort from a penalty corner. Two minutes later, India doubled the advantage when Gazee Khan set up Varinder Singh for a composed finish in front of goal. Korea managed to pull one back in the second quarter after captain Yun Jaehyeok converted a penalty corner in the 21st minute. Despite end-to-end action, both sides struggled to create clear chances for the remainder of the half. India regained complete control in the third quarter as Kushwaha struck again in the 36th minute following another penalty corner. The Korean defence failed to clear the ball, allowing the Indian captain to pounce and score his second goal of the match.

Korea came close to narrowing the gap in the final quarter, but goalkeeper Ayush Rajak produced a crucial save to deny Kim Doyun. India immediately capitalised on the momentum shift, with Shahrukh Ali scoring a powerful goal in the 54th minute to seal a convincing victory. The win took India level on six points with Korea and Japan in Pool A. The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals.

India will now face Chinese Taipei in their final Pool A fixture on June 3 and will aim to continue their strong run in the tournament. All matches are being streamed live on the Asian Hockey Federation’s official YouTube channel.