Mohali, Nov 6: A dramatic second-half comeback propelled India to its sixth Asian Champions Trophy title on Thursday as the host nation defeated Japan 4-1 before a packed stadium in Mohali. Despite falling behind early to a third-minute field goal from Japan’s Kazumasa Matsumoto, India maintained tactical discipline before leveling the match in the 42nd minute via Shilanand Lakra. The home side subsequently scored three goals within a six-minute window in the fourth quarter through Dilpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, and Vivek Sagar Prasad to complete an unbeaten seven-match tournament campaign under the leadership of captain Harmanpreet Singh.
The final day of action also saw Malaysia claim the tournament’s bronze medal with a 5-2 victory over South Korea. After trailing 2-1 during the early stages of the match, Malaysia rallied in the second half through a penalty corner from Faizal Saari, followed by a double from Man of the Match Abu Kamal Azrai and a late goal from captain Marhan Jalil. The victory brought an end to the multi-city tournament, which featured league matches at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar before culminating in the knockout stages in Mohali.
