The Indian men’s hockey team successfully defended their Asian Champions Trophy title, winning a hard-fought 1-0 victory over hosts China in the final at the picturesque Moqi Hockey Training Base, China Daur Ethnic Park, Hulunbuir, on Tuesday. Team India had just returned from their second consecutive Olympic bronze medal victory.
Jugraj Singh broke the deadlock with a decisive strike in the 51st minute of the game and sealed the win for his side. Chinese players put on a hard fight and pressure on the Indian defense, but Harmanpreet Singh’s men did well to maintain the lead and clinch the title. Men in Blue became the most successful team in the tournament’s history with a record-extending five titles.
India also became the only team to win the Asian Champions trophy five times, having retained the title for the second consecutive edition after their triumph in 2023. India had previously achieved back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2018. Hockey India announced a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh for each support staff member for achieving a great feat. Harmanpreet, the captain of India, was named the tournament’s MVP.
Both sides struggled to settle into a rhythm right away in Tuesday’s summit match. Vivek of India created the first real opportunity when he dribbled into the circle and set up Sukhjeet, whose daring shot between his knees caused Chinese goalkeeper Wang Weihao to make a quick stop. In the first quarter, India consistently pressed, looking for opportunities, and China, seeing that India’s defense was vulnerable, counterattacked with a half-court push.
India’s forward unit, featuring Rajkumar, Sukhjeet, Nilakanta, and Raheel, regularly tested the Chinese defense. Harmanpreet came dangerously close to missing with a flick for a penalty corner. China countered with their own penalty corner, but Krishan Pathak quickly stopped Jiesheng Gao’s shot.
India slowed down the game’s tempo in the second quarter in an attempt to find openings in China’s tight defense. Late in the half, Sukhjeet was awarded another penalty corner, but Harmanpreet’s attempt was blocked by the post. After that, Benhai Chen of China launched a counterattack, but Jugraj made a vital sliding tackle to retain the score 0-0 at the break.
Indian men increased their intensity of the game in the third quarter, but China’s defense held firm. Several times, Harmanpreet’s passes found Abhishek, but they were unable to convert. Midway through the quarter, China was awarded two penalty corners, but Pathak’s quick reactions prevented a tie in the score. China exerted pressure on India’s defense as the quarter came to a close, but India resisted.
Early in the fourth quarter, China’s Changliang Lin made a couple of risky runs, but India quickly gained the upper hand. As time was running short, India’s perseverance paid off when Harmanpreet Singh located Jugraj Singh in the circle. Singh skillfully placed the ball into the bottom-right corner to give India the vital lead.
In response, China pushed forward in an attempt to tie the score, setting up a thrilling finish. Nevertheless, India maintained their composure, managing the ball and the clock to win the Hero Asian Champions Trophy for the fifth time.
Meanwhile, Pakistan secured an incredible 5-2 win over South Korea to take home the bronze medal. Sufyan Khan (38′, 49′), Hannan Shahid (39′, 54′), and Rooman (45′) found the net for the three-time winners of the Asian Champions Trophy, while Jihun Yang (40′) and Jungjun Lee (16′) scored for South Korea. After getting off to a terrible start, Pakistan, who were defeated by hosts China in the semifinal, improved greatly in the second half of the game to win a thrilling affair.
