NEW DELHI: Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya felicitated both the Indian men and women’s hockey teams at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) head office here on Monday for their stupendous performance in the recently concluded Under-18 Asia Cup in Japan.
The Indian U-18 men’s hockey team, led by captain Ketan Kushwaha, were crowned champions of the U-18 Asia Cup 2026 after defeating hosts Japan 4-1 in the final in Kakamigahara on Friday.
The minister handed a cheque of Rs 61.5 lakh to the men’s team.
On the other hand, the Indian women’s hockey team, led by captain Sweety Kujur, secured the bronze medal at the Under-18 Asia Cup after registering a commanding 3-0 victory over Korea in the bronze medal match.
Mandaviya handed the women’s team a cheque of Rs 21 lakh as encouragement.
Mandaviya shared words of encouragement for both the men’s and women’s teams, saying: “I would like to congratulate both the teams for the hard work they have put in for bringing laurels for the country. The entire nation is proud of you. I would like to tell you that this is just the start.
“There is no alternative for hard work. Someone who has scored 13 goals should think of scoring 15 or more goals. Someone who has stopped 10 goals should aim for not letting the opponents even score one.
“Whether you study or play sports, there should be total commitment. Keep performing to the best of your abilities and making your parents and well-wishers happy, that should be your aim.”
Mandaviya said that government is fully committed to transforming India into a sports superpower as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The minister also felicitated the best scorer in the men’s and women’s team Ashish Tani Purti and Nousheen Naz, respectively, and best goalkeeper Ayush Rajak, who saved 10 goals in the prestigious tournament.
The minister also felicitated former Indian hockey captains Rani Rampal and Sardar Singh, who are serving as the coaches of the Indian women’s and men’s teams, respectively, for the Under-18 Asia Cup.
PTI