Finance
The Indian men’s hockey team advanced to the final of the Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023 after a 5-0 victory over defending Asian Games champion Japan in the semi-finals on Friday at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai.
India won with goals from Akashdeep Singh (19′), Harmanpreet Singh (23′), Mandeep Singh (30′), Sumit (39′), and Karthi Selvam (51′), putting the hosts in title contention against Malaysia, who defeated defending champions Korea 6-2 in the first semi-final of the day.
Coming into the semi-finals after a crucial win over foe Pakistan in their last match, table toppers India displayed superb form and resolve to win from the start. They launched their assault with an early PC but did not convert. The next few minutes were intensely fought with Japanese forwards Taiki Takade and Shota Yamada taking turns to find an opening in India’s circle.
After a scoreless first quarter, India gained control of the game with a spectacular goal in the 19th minute. Hardik Singh and Sumit worked together to assist seasoned attacker Akashdeep Singh in scoring. The hosts quickly doubled their lead after winning a penalty corner in the 23rd minute, with skipper Harmanpreet Singh blasting the ball to the right bottom of the post.
Manpreet Singh, the playmaker, set up Mandeep Singh for a wonderful goal before the half-time break. Mandeep only needed a sliver of a touch at the end to knock the ball past Japanese goalie Takumi Kitagawa. With a comfortable 3-0 lead, India surely looked like the better team in the clash with Japan unable to break India’s defence line.
In the meantime, India’s midfielders continue to dominate the game. Manpreet Singh was the star of India’s offense today, as he set up Sumit at the baseline for one of the tournament’s most appealing goals. Sumit fired a superb reverse-stick to the corner post as the duo produced a classy play to grab a commanding 4-0 lead.
India left no room for the Japanese to respond, scoring their fifth goal in the 51st minute. This time, it was local hero Karthi Selvam who brought shouts to his Chennai fans with a spectacular field goal. Despite Japan’s desperation in the final minutes, India’s confident performance has left them in contention for the title on Saturday.
Source:IANS
