India thumps Chinese Taipei 15‑0, storms into Junior Asia Cup semifinals

In a blistering display at Moqi, China, the Indian junior men’s hockey side wrapped up their pool matches with a jaw‑dropping 15‑0 victory over Chinese Taipei on Wednesday. The win not only stamped India’s dominance in Pool A but also punched their ticket to the semifinals of the Junior Asia Cup.

From the outset, the defending champions looked a little tentative, struggling to break through a disciplined Taipei defence during the first quarter. Coach Frederic Soyez, however, used the two‑minute break wisely – a quick pep‑talk that seemed to fire the players up. Within minutes of the restart, the floodgates opened.

It was Aryan Xess who nudged the scoreboard first in the 17th minute, followed swiftly by Prabhdeep Singh a minute later. Gursewak Singh then completed a three‑goal burst in the 22nd minute, all coming in a span of just five minutes. The crowd could feel the momentum shifting.

The real fireworks began when skipper Anmol Ikka stepped up. The defender, who had already been a threat from the D‑line, turned his penalty‑corner expertise into pure gold. He struck first at the 25th minute, then again at the 29th, and kept the tally climbing. By halftime, India was already 6‑0 up, the scoreline a clear indicator that the match was slipping away for Taipei.

The second half was a continuation of the first. India’s high press forced the Taiwanese back into their own half, earning two penalty corners within the opening three minutes of the third quarter. Anmol, ever the poacher, turned both chances into goals, completing his hat‑trick and soon adding a fourth. Ajeet Yadav, showing composure beyond his years, chipped in a neat finish in the 35th minute.

When the third quarter drew to a close, the scoreboard read 10‑0. Anmol wasn’t done yet – another penalty‑corner goal in the 45th minute gave him six in total, a personal best and a remarkable feat in a single junior international match.

In the final 15 minutes, the Indian attack stayed relentless. Harpal slipped a field goal past the Taiwanese keeper in the 48th minute, and Anmol capped his extraordinary night with a sixth penalty‑corner conversion at 51 minutes. Harpal added another, and Aryan Xess rounded things off with a brace, sealing a 15‑0 rout.

With the win, India topped Pool A on ten points, while South Korea clinched the second semifinal berth after a tight 3‑2 win over Japan. Japan, Indonesia and Chinese Taipei now head to classification matches, but the message was loud and clear – India’s junior squad is a force to be reckoned with.