India storm into Asian Champions Trophy final after 8-1 rout of South Korea, with Japan waiting tonight
Five-time champions India thrashed South Korea 8-1 in Mohali to reach a record-extending seventh Asian Champions Trophy final, where they face Japan on Thursday evening.
India have stormed into the final of the men's Asian Champions Trophy after a devastating 8-1 demolition of South Korea in Mohali, setting up a title clash with Japan on Thursday evening. The defending champions were ruthless from the first whistle, racing to a 6-1 lead by half-time and never allowing the contest to become competitive.
Shilanand Lakra and Dilpreet Singh scored two goals each, while captain Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Angad Bir Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad added one apiece in a performance that underlined why India are favourites to retain the title. Lakra struck in the 4th and 13th minutes, Harmanpreet in the 9th, Sukhjeet and Dilpreet in the 21st, Dilpreet again in the 25th, Angad in the 36th and Vivek in the 54th.
South Korea's only reply came in the first half, and it did little to slow India's momentum. The semi-final, played at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, was India's first international match at the venue, and the home crowd watched a display of attacking hockey that was both clinical and relentless.
The result was, in one sense, no surprise. India had already beaten the same opponents 8-0 in their final league-stage match on Monday, and they finished the round-robin stage unbeaten with five wins from five. South Korea had not beaten India since the 2019 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup final, and there was never a hint of a repeat shock in Mohali.
What makes the run remarkable is its consistency. India have now scored eight goals against South Korea twice in three days, and they have done so while remaining unbeaten throughout the tournament. Captain Harmanpreet Singh has been central to that dominance, leading from the front and adding to a tournament tally that had already reached double figures before the semi-final.
The victory takes India into a record-extending seventh Asian Champions Trophy final, and their third in a row. They have won the competition in 2011, 2016, 2018, when the title was shared, 2023 and 2024, and finished as runners-up in 2012. A win on Thursday would deliver a record-extending sixth title and confirm their status as the dominant force in Asian hockey.
Japan stand in their way. The second semi-final finished goalless through 60 minutes of regulation time, before Japan edged Malaysia 5-3 in a penalty shootout to book their place in the final. Japan's route has been built on discipline and composure under pressure, qualities that could make them a very different test from the open, high-scoring semi-final India enjoyed.
The final, scheduled for 7pm on Thursday in Mohali, will be broadcast on the Star Sports Network and JioHotstar, and India will start as clear favourites in front of their home supporters. But finals have a habit of ignoring form, and Japan's shootout win over Malaysia will have given them belief that they can frustrate India and take the match deep.
For India, the challenge is to reproduce the intensity of the semi-final without assuming the trophy is already won. The 8-1 scoreline will dominate the headlines, but the coaching staff will know that a final against a disciplined Japan side demands the same defensive focus that has underpinned the unbeaten run, not just the attacking flair that produced eight goals.
Whatever happens on Thursday night, the semi-final has already made a statement about where Indian hockey stands in Asia. Two eight-goal wins over the same opponent in one tournament, an unbeaten run into a seventh final, and a home crowd behind them: India arrive at the final not just hoping to win, but expected to win, and that expectation is itself a measure of how far the team has come.
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