SportsHockey
Unbeaten India meet South Korea in Jalandhar tonight to close Asian Champions Trophy league
Harmanpreet Singh's side are already through to the semi-finals with four wins from four. Monday's 7 pm game against South Korea is a chance to finish the league stage with a perfect record before the knockouts.
Key points
- India play South Korea at 7 pm IST on Monday in their last league game.
- India top the table with 12 points and a goal difference of +21.
- India, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea have all reached the semi-finals.
India close the league stage of the men’s Asian Champions Trophy against South Korea at 7 pm on Monday at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar, with nothing to lose in the table and a perfect record to protect.
Harmanpreet Singh’s side have won all four of their games and are already through to the semi-finals. Their 4-2 win over Malaysia on Sunday night, with the captain scoring a hat-trick, left them on 12 points with a goal difference of plus 21.
The semi-final line-up is settled. Malaysia have nine points, Japan seven and South Korea six, and all four have qualified for the knockouts, with China on one point and Bangladesh yet to score one. Monday’s games decide only the final order.
For India, that makes the Korea game a useful run-out before the semis. Harmanpreet has been the tournament’s sharpest finisher, with eight goals in four matches, two of them from penalty corners and one from a stroke against Malaysia alone. Malaysia’s two goals on Sunday, one from a corner and one in the final minute, were a reminder that the defence can still be tested.
The captain was clear about what the team wants from a home tournament. “We are here for gold... Our only target is to win at home,” Harmanpreet said after the Malaysia game. “All the youngsters coming in are doing well.”
He also thanked the home crowd in Jalandhar. “The energy from the crowd is infectious. Keep supporting us,” he said.