LUCKNOW, July 27 -- Uttar Pradesh's batch of young hockey players produced another bright chapter on Saturday as a group led by Ketan Kushwaha steered India to the men's Youth Hockey5s Championship title in Oman, defeating Pakistan 3-1. The win helped India qualify for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.

Kushwaha, fresh from captaining India to the Men's U18 Asia Cup triumph last month, again proved his leadership qualities. In the frenetic format of Hockey5s, where quick decision-making and relentless work-rate determine outcomes, Kushwaha's calmness and tactical clarity made the difference. He helped rotate the attack and inject fluidity in the defence, which helped India dominate the key phases in the tournament.

Kushwaha als...