Eight Odisha hockey cadets secure double gold in China
Eight athletes from the Odisha Naval Tata Hockey High Performance Centre in Bhubaneswar helped India secure top honors at the Asian Hockey Federation Junior Asia Cup 2026. These young cadets traveled to Moqi, China, and played crucial roles in winning gold medals for both the junior men’s and women’s national teams. Odisha has steadily built a global reputation as the sports capital of India by investing heavily in grassroots infrastructure over the last decade. Six talented players from the Bhubaneswar center joined the Indian junior men’s roster. This dedicated group included Captain Anmol Ekka, Adrohit Ekka, Vivek Lakra, Aryan Xess, Sanjit Tirkey, and Rohit Kullu. Engil Harsharani Minz and Supriya Kunwar competed fiercely for the junior women’s squad. Both contingents delivered exceptional results on the field to reach the absolute top of Asian junior hockey.
This international tournament brought significant individual recognition to the Odisha athletes. Captain Anmol Ekka dominated the scoring charts, finishing the competition with an impressive 17 goals. Goalkeeper Vivek Lakra earned the Best Goalkeeper of the Tournament award for his highly reliable defense in the net.
Hockey Ace Foundation CEO Captain Amitabh expressed immense pride in the athletes. He stated that watching eight cadets contribute directly to gold medal campaigns brings incredible pride to the entire organization. He noted that the specific honors awarded to Anmol and Vivek highlight their intense discipline and reflect the strong developmental pathway available to young players in the state. Captain Amitabh emphasized their main goal is to offer young athletes the proper coaching, modern facilities, and dedicated backing to compete at elite levels, adding that these exact results motivate future generations.
