Finance
On Thursday, India’s junior men’s hockey team continued to conquer the continent, defeating longstanding rivals Pakistan 2-1 to win the Asia Cup for the fourth time. Angad Bir Singh (13th minute) and Araijeet Singh Hundal (20th minute) scored for India, while Abdul Basharat (37th minute) scored for Pakistan.
India had won the championship three times earlier, in 2004, 2008, and 2015. Pakistan won the competition three times: in 1987, 1992, and 1996.
Taking on Twitter, Union Minister Anurag Thakur lauded the team , “India Reigns Supreme! 🥇🏆
#TeamIndia🇮🇳 puts up a dominant performance in the final to win the Junior Men’s Hockey 🏑 #AsiaCup2023 ! Defending Champions asserted their dominance with a fantastic victory against Pakistan (2-1), remaining undefeated throughout the tournament. 👏
This incredible feat is a testament to the talent & hard work of the 18 #KheloIndia Athletes (KIAs) who honed their skills at SAI NCoE Bengaluru @SAI_Bengaluru
They have truly raised the bar & demonstrated the rising prowess and level of competition at the #KheloGames! 💪 A proud moment for Indian hockey indeed! Congratulations to the champions!”
The Hockey India Executive Board, on the other hand, awarded each player a monetary prize of Rs 2 lakh and each support staff member a monetary prize of Rs 1 lakh in recognition of the team’s efforts and unbroken record in the prestigious competition that saw the nation qualify for the FIH Men’s Junior World Cup in Malaysia.
Despite Pakistan’s aggressive pursuit of a comeback, India had more substantial possession. India retained their advantage heading into the second half courtesy to a spectacular save by India’s keeper HS Mohith. Pakistan kept pressing, but India’s defense remained firm. In the 38th minute, though, Basharat Ali’s deflection of Abdul Shahid’s frenzied crossfield attempt made the score 2-1.
Taking on The official Hockey Team of India tweeted, “Congratulations to the Indian Junior Men’s Team for clinching Gold and announcing themselves as the Best in Asia in the Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2023.”
Though Pakistan found a number of opportunities to score through PCs in the last quarter, India custodian Shashikumar Mohith Honnenahalli made some sensational saves to keep India ahead.
It was a nail-biting finish, as Pakistan pushed for that elusive equaliser. But the spirited India Colts held their nerves to clinch the title in style and create history by clinching the fourth title in this prestigious competition.
“We wanted to win at any cost”
Speaking about the tense final, India captain Uttam Singh who was awarded the Player of the Match said, “After the 1-1 draw in the round robin stage, we were very aware of the areas we had to do well in order to beat Pakistan. It was quite a nervous Final. The team had never played in front of such a big crowd but I think created early goals helped us stay in control of the game.”
Experienced India coach CR Kumar expressed that it was a good team effort. “It came down to executing our opportunities. Though I feel we could have scored a few more goals, when you are playing a big opponent like Pakistan there is a lot of pressure. But I am very happy with the way the players controlled their emotions and played to their potential.”
