New Delhi, June 8 (IANS) Indian U-18 women’s hockey team coach Rani Rampal termed the team’s Asia Cup bronze medal a “huge confidence booster,” even as captain Sweety Kujur expressed slight disappointment over missing out on the gold.

The Indian junior eves put up a spirited display at the continental tournament, as they finished at the top of Pool A after winning all three of their matches in dominant fashion. The team scored an incredible 30 goals while conceding only two throughout the pool stage.

However, after an intense and well-fought 2-2 draw over four quarters, they suffered a 1-3 defeat in shootout against China in their semi-final clash. But they secured the bronze medal after registering a commanding 3-0 victory over Korea in the third-place playoff.

Speaking on the team’s performance, head coach Rani stated that this tournament is merely the launching pad for the young squad. “This is just the beginning for these players, and they have a long hockey journey ahead of them. I believe this medal and the Asia Cup tournament have been a huge confidence booster for them, and it will help them perform even better in the future,” she told IANS.

Sandeepa Kumari (2’), Captain Sweety Kujur (16’) and Nousheen Naz (33’) were on target as India capped off their campaign with an impressive podium finish.

However, skipper Sweety Kujur did not mince words about the team’s ultimate target, admitting that self-inflicted errors cost them the top spot on the podium.

“We are happy, but at the same time a little disappointed because we could not fully achieve the goal we had set for ourselves. We believed our team was capable of winning the gold medal, but we fell short because of our own mistakes,” Kujur admitted while speaking to IANS.

The bronze medal marks a strong finish to India’s campaign at the Women’s U18 Asia Cup 2026, with the team showcasing its attacking quality, scoring 36 goals, defensive resilience and immense promise throughout the tournament.

–IANS

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