New Delhi, July 26 (IANS) India sub-junior women's hockey team coach Rani Rampal reflected on the runners-up finish at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship and stated that although the team was eyeing the gold, the final gave the youngsters "something equally valuable".

The Indian women pocketed the silver medal at the FIH Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship in Muscat, Oman, after going down 2-4 to China in the final on Saturday.

With their impressive run in Muscat, India have also secured qualification for the FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup, marking another important milestone for the young team on the global stage.

"Proud of our U-18 team for winning at the Hockey 5s Asian Championship 2026 in Oman and qualifying for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey 5s World Cup. We came for gold, but this final gave our young players something equally valuable, experience under the pressure of a championship match. The mission remains the same: Keep learning. Keep improving. Keep putting India First", Rani shared on X.

"Winning a medal for India is always an honour, but my standards have never been defined by medals alone. Discipline. Dedication. Honesty. Commitment. Team spirit. Humility. Work ethic. And always putting India first," she added.

China made a strong start to the Final, taking the lead through Tongtong Lu in the opening minute. Kexin Tang doubled China’s advantage in the 5th minute before Jiaxin Guo made it 3-0 a minute later. India responded after the break as Nousheen Naz found the back of the net in the 13th minute to reduce the deficit.

However, Chen Ge restored China’s three-goal lead in the 19th minute. Pushpa Manjhi scored in the 20th minute to give India hope, but China held on to register a 4-2 victory and lift the title.

Recognising the team’s outstanding performance, Hockey India announced a cash prize of Rs 1 lakh for each player of the Indian Women’s Hockey Team and Rs 50,000 for each member of the support staff in recognition of their achievement at the championship.

--IANS

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