Daijiworld Media Network - Mohali
Mohali, Nov 5: Defending champions India will aim to secure a record-extending sixth title when they take on Japan in the final of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on Thursday. The title clash is scheduled to begin at 7 pm.
India enter the final in impressive form, having won all six of their matches in the tournament so far. The hosts booked their place in the championship match with a commanding 8-1 victory over South Korea in Wednesday's semi-final, continuing their dominant run in the competition.
India's attacking display was led by Shilanand Lakra and Dilpreet Singh, who scored two goals each. Harmanpreet Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Angad Bir Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad added one goal apiece, while Sangjun Han scored South Korea's only goal.
Shilanand opened the scoring in the fourth minute after a well-worked move involving Dilpreet. South Korea briefly restored parity through Han in the ninth minute, but captain Harmanpreet immediately put India back in front with a penalty-corner conversion.
Shilanand scored his second goal in the 13th minute, capitalising on a rebound from Harmanpreet's penalty-corner attempt. India continued their attacking pressure in the second quarter, with Sukhjeet, Dilpreet and Angad helping the hosts establish a commanding 6-1 lead by half-time.
Angad extended India's advantage in the 36th minute, while Vivek completed the scoring in the 54th minute with an individual effort. Dilpreet was named Player of the Match for his two-goal contribution.
India had also defeated South Korea 8-0 in their final league-stage encounter on Monday, making it 16 goals against the same opponents in two successive matches.
Japan, meanwhile, secured their place in the final after overcoming Malaysia in a closely fought semi-final. Both teams failed to score during the regulation 60 minutes, forcing the contest into a penalty shoot-out, where Japan held their nerve to win 5-3.
India completed the league stage with five consecutive victories, finishing at the top of the six-team standings with 15 points. Japan secured second place with 10 points from three wins, one draw and one defeat. Malaysia finished third with nine points, followed by South Korea, China and Bangladesh.
The hosts have scored 42 goals in six matches, demonstrating their attacking strength throughout the competition. Harmanpreet leads the tournament's scoring charts with 10 goals, followed by Dilpreet with six. Sukhjeet has scored five, while Shilanand has four goals to his name.
India had defeated Japan 4-1 in their earlier meeting during the league stage. However, coach Craig Fulton has cautioned his players against complacency, saying Japan are a strong team and have been playing well. He stressed the need for India to make a fast start and maintain their attacking intensity.
The final will also be a special occasion for vice-captain Hardik Singh, who is set to make his 200th international appearance. The Mohali stadium holds personal significance for him, as he had worked there as a ball boy during the inaugural Hockey India League season in 2013.
India are the five-time winners of the Asian Champions Trophy and have won the last two editions in 2023 and 2024. A victory on Thursday would give them a third consecutive title and strengthen their position as the most successful team in the tournament's history.
Earlier on Thursday, Malaysia will face South Korea in the bronze medal match, scheduled for 4.30 pm at the same venue. China finished fifth after defeating Bangladesh 3-1 in the classification match on Wednesday.