LUCKNOW, June 7 -- Young drag flicker Ashish Tani Purti netted a hat-trick, whereas captain Ketan Kushwaha struck a goal to help Indian Team win the Men's U18 Asia Cup 2026 after defeating hosts Japan 4-1 in the final in Kakamigahara, Japan, on Saturday. 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. To recognise the teams' achievements, Hockey India announced a cash award of Rs 3 lakh for each player of the gold medal-winning team and Rs 1.5 lakh for each member of the support staff. Hockey India also announced a cash award of Rs 1 lakh for each player of the Indian Women's Hockey Team, who secured the bronze medal earlier in the day, along with Rs 50,000 for each member of the support staff. Purti was awarded Player of the Match for his stellar performance in the final and was also recognised as the tournament's Top Scorer with an impressive 13 goals. India further dominated the individual honours with goalkeeper Ayush Rajak being named the Best Goalkeeper of the tournament. Hockey India's chief selector, RP Singh expressed happiness over performances of both men and womens teams in Japan. "Both our men and women finished on the podium and it's a great moment for Indian hockey," said Singh, who also happens to be the chief of Uttar Pradesh Hockey. "For me, it is a double delight as five players in the Indian team are my trainees and come from Uttar Pradesh," team's assistant coach Rajneesh Mishra said....