Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 12, 2024, 03:52 PM
Asian Champions Trophy: The Indian hockey team's excellent performance continues in the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy. The Indian team once again made their strength felt by defeating South Korea 3-1, registering their fourth consecutive win in the tournament. This win further strengthens the Indian team's path of circular victory and puts them in a position to secure a place in the semi-finals.Strong start of the Indian teamIndia started this match in a great way. In the 8th minute of the match, Arijeet Singh Hundal started the Indian team's lead with a brilliant field goal. Soon after, in the next minute, captain Harmanpreet Singh doubled India's lead by converting a penalty corner into a goal. This aggressive start strengthened the position of the Indian team.Korea's counterattack and Indian team's responseHowever, South Korea tried to come back in the match with Yang's goal in the 30th minute of the match. By the end of the first half, India were ahead 2-1. But, in the second half, skipper Harmanpreet Singh converted another penalty corner to extend India's lead to 3-1. This goal proved to be decisive as India finished the match at 3-1.India's journey so farIndia defeated hosts China 3-0 in their first match, followed by a 5-1 win over Japan and then thrashed Malaysia 8-1. These impressive victories have made the Indian team one of the strongest contenders in the tournament. The Indian team will now play against Pakistan on September 14 in their last round robin match, which will determine their path to the semi-finals.Malaysia's challengeMeanwhile, Malaysia won 5-4 against Japan on Thursday. Goals from Syed Cholan (12', 40'), Norsyafik Sumantri (21'), Siyarman Mat (47') and Kamal Abu Azraai (48') helped Malaysia finish fourth in the points table. After losing 1-8 to India, Malaysia needed this win to stay in contention for a place in the semi-finals.ConclusionThe stellar performance of the Indian hockey team is an indication that they are a strong contender in the Asian Champions Trophy 2024. The team's aggression and consistency has made them one of the most prominent teams in this tournament. Now it remains to be seen how they challenge Pakistan in their next match and further strengthen their position in the semi-finals.