Making history on Australian soil, Roundglass Hockey Academy (RGHA) became the first Indian junior hockey academy to win a title by clinching the International Youth Hockey Cup 2026 (U-18) in Sydney. The squad delivered a dominant performance in the final against hosts NSW Singhs, securing a stunning 6-0 victory.
Led by Coach Vikas Pal and managed by Olympian Sanjeev Kumar, the academy capped an unbeaten tournament campaign with a brilliant display of attacking hockey and tactical superiority. After a tightly contested and goalless first quarter, the side made the breakthrough with a four-goal blitz in the second quarter to completely dismantle the opposition. Amandeep opened the scoring in the 17th minute by converting a penalty corner, and just two minutes later, Anurag Singh doubled the lead with another penalty corner conversion in the 19th minute. The onslaught continued as Gautam (25th) and Razzaq Ali (29th) added spectacular field goals, giving the Indian side an unassailable 4-0 lead at half-time. The team maintained its relentless pressure and disciplined structure in the second half. Varinder Singh extended the lead with the fifth goal of the day in the 45th minute before Amandeep capped a brilliant individual and team performance by scoring his second goal of the match in the final minute (60th), sealing the historic 6-0 shutout.
The victory in the final was a fitting conclusion to an overwhelmingly dominant campaign.
The squad opened the tournament with an 8-0 win over the NSW Lions, followed by a clinical 5-0 victory over Team Majulah Singapore. They continued their relentless form by defeating NSW Singhs 5-2 and Bobby Academy 6-1, before wrapping up the league stage with a 7-1 rout of Shepparton Hockey Academy. In total, the Indian side scored a staggering 37 goals across six matches. It was the academy’s second international title of the year, having clinched the Sikh Union Club Nairobi Centenary Celebrations Hockey Tournament in Kenya in May.
