India hockey reach Asian Champions Trophy final after 8-1 win

India hockey moved into the Asian Champions Trophy final on Wednesday in Mohali, beating South Korea 8-1 at the Olympian Balbir Singh International Stadium. The hosts will meet Japan on Thursday, with a sixth title in the competition within reach.

Shilanand Lakra and Dilpreet Singh contributed two goals apiece. Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Angad Bir Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad supplied the remaining four as India maintained their unbeaten tournament record.

Lakra put India ahead in the fourth minute after Dilpreet created the opening from the left. Han Sangjun subsequently brought Korea level, but the equaliser offered only a brief interruption to the hosts' progress.

Harmanpreet converted a penalty corner to restore India's advantage and take his tournament tally to 10 goals. Lakra then collected a rebound to score again, giving the hosts a 3-1 lead after the opening quarter.

Japan await in the title match

Sukhjeet and Dilpreet extended the lead before the interval, with Dilpreet also finishing a long delivery from Harmanpreet. India went into the break 6-1 ahead and retained control through the second half.

Angad added another goal from Jarmanpreet Singh's delivery, while Vivek completed the scoring with a reverse hit. Korea goalkeeper Kim Jaehyeon made several saves as his side tried to limit the damage.

India hockey now face Japan in the teams' first meeting in an Asian Champions Trophy final. Japan reached the decider by defeating Malaysia 5-3 in a shoot-out after regulation play ended without a goal.

Goalkeeper Takumi Kitagawa helped Japan withstand Malaysia's attacks, including five penalty corners. The result secured Japan's third final appearance in the competition and their first since 2021, while Korea will face Malaysia for bronze.

Also read: India hockey win: 8-0 against South Korea seals unbeaten league run | Harmanpreet hat-trick takes India past Malaysia 4-2 in Jalandhar