India maul Indonesia 14-0 to get AHF Men's Junior Asia Cup title defence underway

Prabhdeep Singh led the rout with five goals, while captain Anmol Ekka and Ajeet Yadav also scored hat-tricks

The Indian junior men’s hockey team made a commanding start to their title defence at the AHF Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2026, producing a ruthless 14-0 victory over Indonesia in their opening Pool A encounter in Moqi, China, on Saturday.

Captain Anmol Ekka, Prabhdeep Singh and Ajeet Yadav spearheaded the emphatic performance, scoring 12 goals between them as the five-time champions immediately stamped their authority on the tournament.

Prabhdeep was the most prolific scorer of the day, finding the net five times to earn the ‘Player of the Match’ award, while skipper Anmol contributed four goals and Yadav scored thrice for his hat-trick. Harpal and Ashu Maurya accounted for the other two goals as India maintained relentless pressure throughout the contest.

Related: AHF Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2026: India schedule and details

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Attack right from the start

India’s attacking intent was evident from the opening whistle as they repeatedly entered the Indonesian circle and created scoring opportunities. Prabhdeep opened the scoring in the fifth minute, giving India an early advantage before Harpal doubled the lead in the eighth minute.

Indonesia struggled to cope with the pace and movement of the Indian attack as the opening quarter ended with India firmly in control at 2-0.

The Indian forward line continued to find openings in the second quarter. Anmol scored his first goal of the match in the 16th minute after the Indonesian defence was penalised for a penalty stroke. Yadav added another four minutes later, making it 4-0.

Prabhdeep then took centre stage, scoring in the 26th and 30th minutes to complete his hat-trick and take India into half-time with a commanding 6-0 lead.

RELATED: AHF Junior Asia Cup 2026: Live Streaming, TV Channel, where and how to watch

No slowing down post-break

There was little respite for Indonesia after the break, with India continuing to dominate possession and territory. Anmol was particularly effective from set-pieces, converting penalty corners in the 35th and 42nd minutes to add two more goals to his tally.

Prabhdeep then struck again shortly before the end of the third quarter, with the scoreline reading 9-0.

The final quarter was the most productive period of the match as India found the net five more times. Anmol completed his four-goal haul in the 51st minute, before Prabhdeep scored again a minute later to bring up his fifth goal of the match.

Yadav then completed his hat-trick emphatically, scoring twice in the 53rd minute as India surged to a 13-0 advantage. Maurya rounded off the scoring in the 59th minute, scoring off a penalty corner to complete the 14-0 rout.

RELATED: AHF Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2026: India’s schedule, fixtures, results and live streaming details

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India on top

India’s dominance was reflected in their goal distribution, with nine field goals complemented by four penalty-corner conversions and a penalty stroke. Anmol converted three penalty corners and the penalty stroke, while Maurya scored from the fourth set-piece.

The defeat was Indonesia’s second in as many matches, following their 0-9 loss to South Korea on Friday. They remain fifth in Pool A, behind fourth-placed Chinese Taipei, who went down 0-7 to Japan.

With three points from their opening match, India are level with Japan and South Korea but sit top of Pool A on goal difference — an ideal start for the defending champions.

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