New Delhi, 29th August: The Indian Junior Women’s Hockey Team departed today for Moqi, China, to compete in the AHF Women’s Junior Asia Cup 2026, scheduled to be held from 4th to 13th September. The 18-member squad, led by midfielder Khaidem Shileima Chanu, travels to China on the back of an extensive period of preparation under newly appointed Coach Tim White, including a productive exposure tour of the United Kingdom earlier this summer.
During the UK tour, held from 5th to 14th July in Edinburgh and Lilleshall, the Junior Women’s side featured in seven matches against Scotland’s Senior Women’s team and the junior sides of the United States, England and Belgium. India secured commanding wins over the United States (6-0) and recorded back-to-back 2-0 victories against England, in addition to edging the USA in a shootout (1-1, won 3-2 on penalties) in a closely contested rematch. The side also gained valuable experience against a more seasoned Scotland Senior Women’s team and a strong Belgium U-21 outfit.
Speaking ahead of the team’s departure, Indian Junior Women’s Coach Tim White said, “The team is very excited to leave for China tomorrow for the Asia Cup. Our preparation has been good, including important matches against a combined India A team, which came to Bangalore for four matches. We will go to China confident that we have built a game plan which can be hard to play against, and we are very excited to test that against the best teams in Asia.”
India has been drawn in the Women’s Elite Pool alongside hosts China, Japan, Korea and Malaysia, and will open its campaign against Korea on 5th September. The Elite Pool sides will battle for the top positions before the competition moves into the knockout stage, culminating in the Gold Medal match on 13th September.
The AHF Women’s Junior Asia Cup brings together the continent’s leading junior teams and serves as an important platform for the next generation of Asian hockey talent to test themselves against top-quality opposition.
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