India beat Pakistan to clinch Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship title

MUSCAT: India clinched the Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship title with a commanding 3-1 victory over Pakistan in the final at Hockey Oman (Pitch 1) on Saturday, completing an unbeaten run against their rivals in the tournament.

India made a bright start and took the lead in the opening quarter when Romit Pal found the net after four minutes and 13 seconds. Pakistan failed to respond before the end of the first quarter, allowing India to head into the break with a slender advantage.

The defending champions tightened their grip on the contest in the final quarter. Ketan Kushwaha doubled India's lead in the 12th minute before Shahrukh Ali added a third goal a minute later to put the result beyond doubt.

Pakistan managed a late consolation through Muhammad Usman, who scored in the 16th minute, but it was not enough to prevent India from securing a comprehensive 3-1 victory and the championship crown.

The two sides had also met earlier in the tournament, with India claiming a convincing 7-3 victory after making the most of their numerical advantage.

Kushwaha starred with a brace, while Rahul Yadav, Shahrukh Ali, Prahalad Rajbhar, Romit Pal and Karan Gautam each scored once.

For Pakistan, Adeel struck twice and Muhammad Usman added the third goal.

Despite suffering two defeats to India before meeting them in the final, Pakistan finished second in the men's standings to qualify for the title decider.

The Green Shirt's run to the title decider was built on dominant performances against Bangladesh and hosts Oman.

The Green Shirts opened their campaign with a commanding 5-0 victory over Oman before defeating Bangladesh 5-2. They then overcame Oman 7-3 in their second meeting and concluded the group stage with a 2-2 draw against Bangladesh.