The Indian men's team defeated Pakistan in the final of the Men's Junior Asia Cup to win the title for a record-extending fifth time. India outclassed Pakistan in a high-scoring finale in Muscat, Oman to win the clash 5-3 on Wednesday, December 4.
Araijeet Singh Hundal scored four goals for India in the 4th, 18th, 47th and 54th minute. He hit three goals from penalty corners while scoring an on-field goal. Dilraj Singh also contributed a goal in the 19th minute in the win. For Pakistan, Shahid Hannan (3’) and Sufyan Khan (30’, 39’) scored to keep Pakistan in the game. However, the Indians dominated the final quarter and scored two more goals to win the game.
Pakistan opened the scoring sheets as early as in the 3rd minute when Shahid pounced on an opportunity and beat Bikramjeet Singh in a one-on-one to hit the back of the net. The Indians bounced back soon after earning a penalty corner. Araijieet's drag-flick to the right top corner in the next minute brought back the parity.
Both teams kept looking for further chances but for no goal in the opening quarter. When the second quarter began, India got a penalty corner and Araijeet scored once again as he found the gap between Pakistan’s goalkeeper Muhammad Janjua and the post man to hand his team a 2-1 lead. Dilraj scored soon from the field when he went past two defenders and hit the board in the next minute to make it 3-1.
The second quarter was about to end when Sufiyan found a goal off a penalty corner to reduce the gap to 3-2 heading into the mid-game interval.
Araijeet was looking for his hat trick and got a couple of chances at the start of the third quarter but to no avail. However, with six minutes left into the quarter, Sufyan converted a penalty corner and brought the parity back 3-3 when the third quarter ended.
It was all back to where it began at the start of the final quarter but India seized the initiative at the start of the final quarter. Manmeet Singh moved past his marker and found Araijeet in front of the Pakistan goal. The Indian forward deflected the ball into the goal to take India up at 4-3. With this, he completed his hattrick.
Araijeet was not done yet as he converted a penalty corner with six minutes left on the clock. Hannan Shahid looked for a goal in the closing moments but India kept them at bay to win the final.
With this, India have won the tournament fifth time, while Pakistan are second with three titles to their name. South Korea and Malaysia have one crown apiece to their name in the junior Asian circuit.
