Kakamigahara, June 6 -- Ashish Tani Purti's hat-trick powered the Indian U-18 Men's Hockey Team to the Men's U-18 Asia Cup 2026 title win after defeating hosts Japan 4-1 in the final in Kakamigahara, Japan, on Friday.

Ashish Tani Purti (2', 28', 34') starred with a hat-trick, while captain Ketan Kushwaha (30') also found the back of the net as India produced a commanding display against the hosts to lift the title. Numada Gaku (52') scored Japan's lone goal of the contest, according to a press release.

To recognise the teams' achievements, Hockey India announced a cash award of INR 3 lakh for each player of the gold medal-winning Indian U-18 Men's Hockey Team and INR 1.5 lakh for each member of the support staff. Hockey India also annou...