India crowned Asian Men's Hockey Champions 2024. / X/@narendramodi

On a day when the home team played its hearts out, defenders helped India to defend its Hero Asian Champions Trophy title with a solitary goal win over China on Sept. 16.

Fed by skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh scored the match winner in the 51st minute in a game that saw the Chinese putting up an exemplary defence. Interestingly, the deep defenders combined scored a memorable field goal in a game that had the spectators on the edge of their seats till the final whistle. A grand finale to a tournament that witnessed some upheavals and great vintage hockey.

The outcome may have come as a big heartbreak for the Chinese home team playing its first ever Asian Champions Trophy final. However, it had the satisfaction of beating the former World Cup, Olympic, Asian and Asia Cup champions Pakistan in the semi-finals.

Earlier, Pakistan took the bronze defeating Korea 5-2.

Captain saves the day

Harmanpreet Singh once again emerged as the hero of the tournament by scoring seven goals, the second highest in the tournament, while India remained the only unbeaten team with seven wins from as many games. India scored 26 goals and conceded five.

India succeeded in breaking through the solid Chinese defence in the 51st minute when skipper Harmanpreet worked out a move by dribbling down the left flank to find fellow deep defender Jugraj on the other flank for a perfect finish past gallant Wang. Defenders did what the forwards could not do in the run of the play for the first 51 minutes of the game. A superb goal, indeed.

Two minutes before the final whistle, India averted a scare when Lin looked menacing. Manpreet intervened to see the ball fly over the cross piece.

While the first two quarters belonged to India, the Chinese held the sway in the third. The pressure on the Indian defence was slightly relieved in the 43rd minute when young Araijit Hundal attempted a solo. His angular shot from a narrow angle was wide of the target.

India’s desperation to break the goalless deadlock became apparent in the beginning of second half as skipper Harmanpreet attempting penetrating slaps. Three times he had Abhishek in possession in the striking circle but without any success.

Instead, China forced a penalty corner as Rohidas was a little erratic in his clearance. India defended well.

China got another penalty corner in the 40th minute. Though India asked for video referral, it was turned down. The resultant award saw Pathak making a good save off a moderate paced flick.

There was some drama in the 28th minute when a penalty stroke was awarded to India. The decision was changed on video referral as the third umpire held that the Chinese goalkeeper committed no offence while bringing down Manpreet.

Indian dominance in the late second quarter was obvious, but luck was not siding with the defending champions. A square pass by Jarmanpreet following  his move with Harmanpreet failed to find Uttam in place. The first half ended goalless.

With just three minutes left for the first half to end, India earned a penalty corner through Sukhjeet. Harmanpreet’s flick beat goalkeeper Wang but hits the goalpost instead. Bad luck for the Indian skipper.

Abhishek was in a scoring position in the 25th minute as he worked his way into the Chinese circle before losing possession to his opponent, Chen. Chinese marksmanship has been superb till now.

Chinese had packed their defence to pacy Indian forwards, who were showing little appetite for scoring goals. Slowing down in the  striking circle was one reason that they could not get past Wang even after 23 minutes of the game.

Before the start of the second quarter, India changed its goalkeeper. Suraj Karkera comes in for Pathak.

Indian players kept their opponents on their toes. In the 12th minute, it was Nilkanta to make another attempt, but Wang brings off a fine save. Sukhjeet, who got the rebound, was pulled up for stick check. Abhishek, Sukhjeet and Uttam tested Wang but without being able to get the ball past him.

Before the teams broke for the first break, India conceded a penalty corner as Jarmanpreet had hit the ball after the whistle. Pathak brings off a spectacular save of a forceful flick from China’s Gao to signal the end of the first quarter goalless.

In the seventh minute, when young Araijit Hundal took a mighty shot at the Chinese goal, it hit home team’s captain Meng on his lower leg, and he had to be escorted out.

Seconds later, first penalty corner for India followed, from which ace drag flicker Harmanpreet shot wide off the target to the great relief of the Chinese defence.

India made its intentions clear from the start. After Sukhjeet’s foray into the Chinese circle in the third minute, it was Nilkanta, who made first serious attempt at the Chinese goal in the fifth minute following a free hit by Manpreet Singh. Nilkanta’s shot ended on the pads of Chinese goalkeeper Wang.

India started with Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Harmanpreet, Jarmanpreet, Amit Rohidas, Sumit, Manpreet, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Rajkumar Pal, Abhishek, Sukhjeet, and Araijit Singh Hundal.

China did not name in its starting XI  its hero of the semi-final against Pakistan, goalkeeper Caiyu Wang. Instead, they played Wang Weihao, who gave an excellent performance under the bar.

"We have been preparing for this tournament for about two months. Today, I believe in my players, we want to make new history," the Chinese coach said before the start of the gold medal match.

Indian Coach, Craig Fulton, responded, "We have got to play the game, not the occasion. It is a great occasion, it is a full house. We are looking forward to it. What we have done so far doesn't matter, we have got to reproduce that tonight. We are looking forward to it."

Earlier in the bronze medal game, Pakistan exhibited superlative hockey in defeating South Korea 5-2, thanks to braces of goals by  Sufiyan Khan and Shahid Hannan with Rooman chipping in with a goal.

Yang Jihun and Lee Jungjun scored for Korea. Yang Jihun took his personal tally to nine goals, highest of the tournament.

Earlier in the tournament, when the two teams met in round robin league, the game had ended in a 2-2 draw. In that game Shahid Hannan had scored both the goals for Pakistan while Sunghyun Kim and Jigwang Hyun were scorers for Korea.