Chennai: A brilliant display by the Indian hockey team in the Asian Champions Trophy finals made it win the championship for the fourth time today. India defeated Malaysia 4-3 in the finals at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here. In a pulsating final match, India overcame a two-goal deficit to clinch a dramatic victory.
Malaysia gained early momentum, and dominated with their aggressive playstyle initially, even while India took an early lead through Jugraj Singh’s penalty corner in the 9th minute. Malaysia employed flanking manoeuvres and strategic long passes and capitalised on India’s defence lapses to first equalise and then take the lead.
India controlled the ball and game for three quarters in spite of Malaysia commanding the early momentum but the turning point was when Gurjant Singh capitalised on a goalmouth scramble in the 45th minute of the game. This moment was preceded by a penalty stroke, signalling India’s resurgence as the men in blue levelled the score at 3-3.
India thereafter elevated their game to the next level with an awe-inspiring surge of energy and acceleration. They swiftly outpaced the fatigued Malaysians, and the winning goal was finally scored by Akashdeep Singh in the 56th minute.
The Hero of the Match honour was awarded to India’s Hardik Singh, wearing jersey number 08. The young player of the match was awarded to India’s Selvam Karthi, donning jersey number 50.
Updated on August 13, 2023: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi congratulated the hockey team for winning the fourth Asian Champions Trophy Title.
In a tweet, the Prime Minister said, “Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team on the spectacular victory in the Asian Championship! This is India’s 4th triumph and it showcases the tireless dedication, rigorous training and unyielding determination of our players. Their extraordinary performance has ignited immense pride across the nation. Best wishes to our players for their future endeavours.”
– global bihari bureau
