Mohali Makes History: India Beat Japan 4-1 to Lift Record 6th Asian Champions Trophy
MOHALI : Indian hockey has another reason to celebrate, and Mohali has added a historic sporting moment to Punjab’s identity. India staged a stunning comeback against Japan to win the Asian Champions Trophy 4-1, extending their record to six titles and completing an unbeaten campaign that underlines the country’s dominance in Asian hockey.
The packed Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium witnessed a memorable night as the defending champions turned an early setback into a commanding victory.
India Turn 0-1 Deficit Into a Championship Celebration
Japan stunned the home crowd when Kazumasa Matsumoto scored a brilliant backhand goal in the 3rd minute.
India struggled to break through Japan’s defence in the first half, going into the interval trailing 0-1. But the hosts returned with renewed determination.
The turning points of India’s comeback:
42nd minute: Shilanand Lakra equalised through a penalty-corner variation initiated by captain Harmanpreet Singh.
47th minute: Dilpreet Singh put India ahead 2-1.
52nd minute: Jugraj Singh unleashed a powerful drag-flick to extend the lead to 3-1.
53rd minute: Vivek Sagar Prasad scored the fourth goal, sealing India’s 4-1 victory.
Four goals in the second half transformed a tense final into a historic celebration.
Four goals in the second half transformed a tense final into a historic celebration.
Six Titles, Three Consecutive Championships
India’s latest triumph takes their Asian Champions Trophy tally to six, the highest by any team.
India’s title-winning years:
2011
2016
2018 (joint winners)
2023
2024
2026
The victory also marks India’s third consecutive championship after their 2023 and 2024 triumphs.
Even more impressive, India finished the tournament with a perfect record of seven wins in seven matches, without losing a single game.
Japan, meanwhile, suffered another heartbreak in the final. They have now finished runners-up three times—in 2013, 2021 and 2026—and are still waiting for their first Asian Champions Trophy title.
Harmanpreet Leads India’s Golden Campaign
Captain Harmanpreet Singh once again played a crucial leadership role in India’s successful title defence.
Hardik Singh, Amit Rohidas, Shilanand Lakra and goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak were also among the key contributors to the team’s championship-winning campaign.
Malaysia initially took the lead through Fitri Saari in the 2nd minute. However, South Korea responded through Park Geun Woo (5th minute) and Chun Semin (13th minute) to move ahead 2-1.
Malaysia turned the contest around in the second half.
34th minute: Faizal Saari equalised through a penalty corner.
45th minute: Abu Kamal Azrai put Malaysia ahead.
50th minute: Azrai scored again to make it 4-2.
58th minute: Captain Marhan Jalil sealed the 5-2 victory with another penalty-corner goal.
Azrai was named Man of the Match for his decisive brace.
Mohali Delivers a Memorable Hockey Spectacle
The final attracted a packed crowd at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium, which hosted the knockout stage of the tournament.
The league matches were held at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.
For Punjab, hosting the tournament’s decisive matches brought international hockey into the heart of the state, while India’s historic victory gave the home crowd a night to remember.
