THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU

BHUBANESWAR, AUGUST 3, 2026

Hockey Ace Foundation (HAF) cadet Ashish Tani Purti and video analyst Abhijeet Hazary played pivotal roles as India defeated Pakistan 3-1 to win the Men's Youth Hockey5s Asian Championship in Muscat, Oman, securing qualification for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup.

India completed an unbeaten campaign in the tournament, topping the Elite Pool before overcoming arch-rivals Pakistan in the final on July 25 to lift the title.

The triumph marked another significant achievement for the Hockey Ace Foundation, a joint initiative of Tata Steel and Tata Trusts, with both Purti and Hazary contributing to India's successful campaign.

Purti, a promising cadet of the Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA), Jamshedpur, claimed his second successive international gold medal after also being part of India's victorious campaign at the Asia Cup in Japan last month.

Hazary, who serves as Video Analyst at the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High-Performance Centre (ONTHHPC), was instrumental in India's preparations through tactical analysis and match planning. He had earlier been associated with India's gold medal-winning Asia Cup campaign in Japan as well as the bronze medal-winning Indian women's team.

Congratulating the duo, Hockey Ace Foundation Project Director Gurmeet Singh Rao said their success reflected the strength of the Foundation's high-performance ecosystem.

"This achievement reflects the strength of our high-performance ecosystem. Ashish and Abhijeet have made us proud with their contribution to India's gold medal-winning campaign and qualification for the inaugural FIH Youth Hockey5s World Cup. We wish them continued success," Rao said.

The Foundation said the achievements of the Naval Tata Hockey Academy, Jamshedpur, and the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High-Performance Centre highlight its commitment to strengthening Indian hockey through world-class coaching, scientific training and holistic player development while producing elite players and technical professionals for the international stage.