Last Updated:
The Men In Blue registered a 3-2 win over their Japanese counterparts as Harmanpreet netted a brace and Mandeep Singh added their other.
Asia Cup 2025: India 3-2 Japan. (X)
The Indian National Men’s Hockey Team battled their way to a second successive win at the ongoing Asia Cup in Rajgir on Sunday with a dominant win over Japan.
The Men In Blue registered a 3-2 win over their Japanese counterparts as Harmanpreet netted a brace and Mandeep Singh added their other.
Mandeep Singh put India ahead in the opening quarter of the game, before Harmanpreet extended the hosts advantage to two with his fourth strike of the game.
Japan, however, came out from the halftime break with a renewed sense of purpose and halved their arrears with a scintillating strike to reduce to the deficit to just the one.
Harmanpreet netted for the second time in the game, and his fifth of the tournament, to give India an insurance which they would later be thankful for as the Japanese unit found a way to overturn the run of play and net their second with mere minute to go to give the hosts and the fans a nervy finish.
India, however, stood up to the test posed by the Japs in the final stretch of play to defend their advantage and conclude their second fixture of the tournament with a positive result. It was the host nations’ second triumph in as many outings at the continental event being hosted on home soil, following their opening day thumping of China.
ALSO READ| Khalid Jamil On India Facing Iran After Tajikistan Win: ‘Last Game A Huge Motivation’
The Indian National Men’s Hockey Team opened their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a win over China, as Indian skipper Harmanpreet Singh starred with a hat-trick, while Jograj Singh netted another goal to help the hosts secure a 4-3 triumph over their Chinese counterparts.
India began the game positively, launching multiple attacks on the Chinese defence. However, it was the visitors who took the lead, with Du Shoihao scoring the opener, giving China a one-goal advantage by the end of the first quarter. Jograj Singh equalised for India in the second quarter before Harmanpreet Singh turned the game around with his first goal of the day.
The third quarter saw an interesting turn as India extended their lead to two goals, thanks to the skipper. However, China reduced the deficit, making it 3-2. Harmanpreet was unlucky when his penalty stroke hit the post, and China capitalised on this missed opportunity by scoring their third goal to level the match.
Nevertheless, Harmanpreet made the decisive impact in the final quarter, completing his hat-trick and giving India a 4-3 lead. The hosts held on to this advantage, securing a memorable victory in the continental showcase.
- Location :
Rajgir, India, India
Read More
Source link
[ad_3]
