Asian Champions Trophy Hockey final: India beat China 1-0 to win title
On Tuesday, September 17, the Indian team secured their fifth Asian Champions trophy title by beating a determined China team 1-0. Jugraj Singh’s goal in the 51st minute was crucial in India’s victory, as China put up a strong fight and pushed the defending champions to work hard for the win.
Also read: Asian Champions Trophy Hockey: Pakistan downs South Korea to claim bronze medal
In their first game of the tournament, India and China went head-to-head, with India emerging victorious with a 3-0 win. Harmanpreet Singh and his team were considered the top favorites for the game, however, the hosts were determined to put up a fight.
China started in attack mode but India stayed calm
The game began with China attempting to create problems for the Indian defense. This was clear in the initial match of the tournament as China tried to exploit India’s vulnerabilities on the counterattack.
India had their first promising opportunity in the opening quarter, as Sukhjeet made a clever shot on goal that was effectively saved by the Chinese goalie.
The initial penalty corner for India was blocked effectively by the Chinese defense in the 9th minute. This time, India would receive another one, and Harmanpreet missed the mark by a large margin. China finished the first quarter in a better position compared to the other team and succeeded in earning a few penalty corners against Krishan Pathak.
India continued to push, but China stayed unyielding as the match entered the last quarter with everything still up for grabs.
Jugraj scored the decisive goal for India
India would begin the 4th quarter with increased pressure and eventually managed to break the deadlock in the 51st minute. Harmanpreet charged into the D and passed to Jugraj, who scored flawlessly to end the stalemate.
China had no choice but to take a risk and attempt to apply pressure on India. They went as far as incorporating a flying goalie into the game in their pursuit of scoring. Nevertheless, the Indian defense held strong, enabling India to secure the victory.
