THEBUSINESSBYES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026

Odisha’s growing reputation as a nursery of hockey talent received another major boost as eight cadets of the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre (ONTHHPC) represented India at the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Junior Asia Cup 2026 in Moqi, China, helping the country clinch gold medals in both the junior men’s and women’s competitions.

Six ONTHHPC cadets were part of the Indian junior men’s squad, with captain Anmol Ekka, Adrohit Ekka, Vivek Lakra, Aryan Xess, Sanjit Tirkey and Rohit Kullu making their presence felt in the title-winning campaign.

In the junior women’s team, Engil Harsharani Minz and Supriya Kunwar carried the ONTHHPC colours, contributing to India’s successful run to the top of the continental junior hockey ladder.

The tournament proved particularly memorable for Anmol and Vivek, who added individual honours to India’s team triumph. Captain Anmol emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with an impressive 17 goals, while goalkeeper Vivek was adjudged the Best Goalkeeper for his consistent performances between the posts.

The achievement underlines the growing impact of the ONTHHPC programme in producing players capable of making the transition from high-performance training to the international stage.

 “Seeing eight of our cadets represent India and contribute to gold medal-winning campaigns at the Junior Asia Cup is a proud moment for everyone at the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey HPC and Hockey Ace Foundation,” Hockey Ace Foundation CEO Captain Amitabh said.

 “Anmol and Vivek’s individual honours make the achievement even more special. Their success reflects their hard work and discipline, as well as the quality of the high-performance pathway created for young hockey players in Odisha,” he added.

Captain Amitabh said the centre remained committed to providing young players with the coaching, facilities and support required to compete at the highest level.

 “Our focus is to provide young athletes with the coaching, facilities and support they need to compete at the highest level. Achievements such as these reinforce that vision and inspire the next generation of players,” he said.

The Hockey Ace Foundation, a joint initiative of Tata Steel and Tata Trusts in partnership with the Government of Odisha, operates the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar and the Naval Tata Hockey Academy in Jamshedpur.

The initiative seeks to nurture hockey talent through structured coaching, high-performance training, tactical analysis and holistic athlete development.

The eight-cadet haul at the Junior Asia Cup is the latest milestone in ONTHHPC’s efforts to create a sustained pathway for young players from Odisha to break into India’s national teams and make their mark on the international stage.