India wins U-18 Hockey Asia Cup, celebrations in Itarsi:Two local players part of team, Japan defeated 4-1

India’s Under-18 men’s hockey team has won the Asia Cup 2026 title. India secured the trophy by defeating Japan 4-1 in the final. The victory was also celebrated in Itarsi on Saturday evening at Jaystambh Chowk at around 6 pm, as two players from the city, Ansh Bahutra and Gazi Khan, were part of the squad. As soon as the news of the win reached Itarsi, hockey players and sports enthusiasts gathered at Jaystambh Chowk. People danced to the beats of drums, raised slogans of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, and celebrated by distributing imarti sweets. Ansh Bahutra played the role of a defender in the team, while Gazi Khan strengthened India’s attack as a forward player. Their selection and strong performance have created a wave of excitement among sports lovers in the city. See two pictures of the celebration- Final match played in Japan The final was played at the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Hockey Stadium in Kakamigahara, Japan, where India dominated from the beginning. In the 2nd minute, Ashish Tani Puri scored the first goal from a penalty corner. He scored again in the 28th minute, while Ketan Kushwaha added a field goal in the 30th minute to make it 3-0. In the third quarter, Ashish completed his hat-trick with another goal, taking India’s lead to 4-0. Japan’s Gaku Numada scored the only goal for his team in the 52nd minute. India won the match 4-1, clinching the Asia Cup for the third time and becoming the most successful team in the tournament. In the celebrations held in Itarsi, hockey association coach Kanhaiya Guriyani, Rajju Tomar, Deepak Agrawal, Sarbjit Saini, Sajid Khan, and Raju Pandit, along with several players and sports enthusiasts, were present. Everyone called it a moment of pride for the city and congratulated Ansh and Gazi on their achievement.