NTHA Jamshedpur cadets shine in India’s U-18 Asia Cup triumph

Ashish Purti emerges top scorer as India defeat Japan 4-1 in final

Jamshedpur, June 7: Following a spectacular campaign at the Men’s U18 Asia Cup 2026 in Kakamigahara, Japan, the Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA) Jamshedpur celebrates a historic milestone for Indian hockey. Two core NTHA cadets—Ashish Tani Purti and Premchand Soy—played a definitive role in anchoring the Indian Under-18 National Team to a phenomenal Gold Medal finish, culminating in a dominant 4–1 victory over hosts Japan in the grand finale.

The tournament solidified NTHA’s repute as a premier feeder cradle for the national squad, with its cadets directly contributing to India’s undefeated, title-winning campaign.

Throughout the gruelling schedule in Japan, the tactical sharpness and physical resilience drilled into the cadets at the Jamshedpur facility were on full display. Emerging as the undisputed star of the tournament, Ashish put on a masterclass in modern defensive drag-flicking. He finished the Asia Cup as the tournament’s Top Scorer with 13 goals. Crucially, he rose to the occasion when the pressure peaked, unloading back-to-back hat-tricks in both the high-stakes Semi-Final and the Final against Japan (scoring in the 2nd, 28th, and 34th minutes). He was rightfully awarded the Player of the Match in the final.

Serving as the engine room of the Indian midfield, Premchand’s vision, explosive transitions, and game management dictated the tempo for India. His capacity to breakdown opposition defenses and feed the forward line—along with a crucial field goal earlier in the tournament against Chinese Taipei—proved vital to India’s structural dominance over Asian counterparts.

Speaking on the historic achievement, Gurmeet Singh Rao, Project Director at NTHA, expressed immense pride in the cadets’ development:

“This is a monumental day for the Naval Tata Hockey Academy and the entire state of Jharkhand. Seeing Ashish and Premchand not just feature, but actively dictate the outcome of a continental final for India is the ultimate validation of our academy’s blueprint.

When we selected these boys, we knew they possessed unique raw talent. To watch them channel that via structured, professional training into becoming tournament top scorers and midfield maestros on the international stage is deeply satisfying. They have shown that our elite training methodology is producing world-class results.”