Harmanpreet Singh & Co beat defending champions South Korea by a commanding 4-1 margin to clinch Asia Cup title in Rajgir and seal direct entry into the 2026 FIH World Cup
India players celebrate a goal in the Asia Cup final vs South Korea in Rajgir, Bihar, on Sunday. PIC/PTI
There was not a spot available to even stand on one leg at the Rajgir Sports Complex’s hockey stadium on Sunday, when the 4000-capacity stadium was packed beyond limit to cheer the Indian team in the Asia Cup final against South Korea. And the hosts delivered in style, winning 4-1, to clinch their fourth Asia Cup title, also confirming their ticket to next year’s FIH World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Dilpreet scores brace
Dilpreet Singh was the star with two strikes, choosing the best day to redeem himself from an average show earlier in the tournament. Sukhjeet Singh and Amit Rohidas were the other scorers. “Seven games in the tournament, but we weren’t firing at the start. The objective was always to qualify for the final, which gives us a nice buffer. We don’t have to go through the [World Cup] qualifiers,” said coach Craig Fulton.
The game began with the individual brilliance that India are known for, and it was the captain, who took the lead with a dodge down the left flank to set up Sukhjeet Singh for a tomahawk that sent the ball into the net. A goal just 31 seconds into the game saw a spring in India’s step, and Sukhjeet and Hardik had the Koreans in sixes and sevens. Moments later, Dilpreet Singh got a deft touch at the end of a cross from the right by Vivek Sagar Prasad, but the Korean goalkeeper Jaehan Kim blocked it.
Custodian Kim did well initially to palming away a 10th-minute penalty stroke by Jugraj Singh after a stick-check on Mandeep Singh saw the umpire pointing towards the spot. Harmanpreet was not on the pitch at that point. Striker Abhishek had a couple of chances before the first hooter, but one flew across the face of the goal and one went in no man’s land.
India finally got the cushion they were looking for when their aerial ball tactics bore fruit. Harmanpreet’s scoop should have been intercepted by the Korean defence, but it instead fell for Sanjay, who found Dilpreet nicely placed to make it 2-0 in the 28th minute. India upped the ante in the last two minutes of the game, earning their first penalty corner, but Harmanpreet’s flick was blocked. India scored in the 45th minute as Harmanpreet and Rajkumar Pal combined to set Dilpreet up for his second goal.
Rohidas strikes
The 50th minute produced another penalty corner for India, and as Hardik went to the spot to inject, he urged the crowd to raise the volume of their cheers. The stage was set for Amit Rohidas to make it 4-0, beating Jaehan to his right. A minute later, it was Korea’s turn for a set-piece when they created another penalty corner and opted for a variation, which Dain Son successfully converted to make it 4-1. Hockey India announced a cash reward of R3 lakh for each Team India player and R1.5 lakh for every support staff member.
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