Asian Champions Trophy Hockey, IND vs CHN: India beats China by 1-0 to retain Asian Champions Trophy title
Xtra Time Web Desk: In hockey, India reigns supreme in Asia. Just like last time, India has once again snatched the Asian Champions Trophy. On Chinese soil, Harmanpreet and his team planted the Indian flag by defeating the hosts. Team India remained undefeated throughout the tournament and emerged as champions, defeating China 1-0 in the final.
About a month ago, Harmanpreet and his team won a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics. India has maintained that consistency in the top Asian competition as well. In the group stage, teams from China, Malaysia, Korea, Pakistan, and Japan were all defeated by India. In the semifinals, Korea was decisively beaten once again. In the final, Sukhi and his team managed to overcome China once more.
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However, in the final was not as easy as the group stage games. Despite dominating the entire match, scoring was not straightforward. Mandeep and Arijit launched attack after attack, but breaking through China’s desperate defense proved challenging. Tournament’s top scorer, Harmanpreet, was unable to convert penalty corners into goals. On the other hand, a few isolated attacks from Chinese players were well-saved by goalkeeper Krishan Pathak.
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After a fiercely contested 50 minutes of non-stop action, India finally broke through the deadlock with a crucial strike from Jugraj Singh, making it 1-0. That lone goal was all it took to secure the victory, and with it, the title!
Congratulations to the entire squad for their… pic.twitter.com/JPAdHQcogA
The first half ended goalless. China even managed to trouble India a few times. No team scored in the third quarter either. Finally, with just 9 minutes left in the match, Jugraj Singh broke the deadlock. His brilliant shot shattered all of China’s efforts. Ultimately, that single goal made the difference, as India won the Asian Champions Trophy once again by defeating China.
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