Chandigarh/Jalandhar, October 30 (Sports Desk)
he Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium witnessed three exciting encounters at the Asian Champions Trophy, with hosts India, Japan and Malaysia registering victories in their respective matches.
Punjab Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister Gurmeet Singh Khuddian was present to witness the high-voltage clash between India and China. On the occasion, he was introduced to players from both teams.
Addressing the occasion, Khuddian said that the persistent efforts of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann had helped bring the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy to Punjab. Describing Punjab as a powerhouse of Indian hockey, he said the state government was making every possible effort to ensure the successful organisation of the tournament.
India Dominate China 5–2 in Thrilling Encounter
In the most exciting match of the day, the Indian men’s hockey team delivered an impressive performance to defeat China 5–2.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh showcased his drag-flicking prowess, converting two penalty corners in the 27th and 31st minutes. Sukhjeet Singh also made a significant contribution, scoring two field goals in the 12th and 34th minutes.
Jugraj Singh completed India’s scoring with a penalty-corner conversion in the 47th minute, sealing an emphatic victory for the hosts.
China fought back with two penalty-corner goals. Peng Yang scored in the 26th minute, while Chongkong Chen found the net in the 36th minute. However, the Chinese side could not match India’s attacking intensity as the hosts secured a convincing win.
Japan Edge Past Bangladesh 1–0
In another closely contested encounter, Japan narrowly defeated a spirited Bangladesh side 1–0.
The decisive goal came from Raiki Fujishima, who converted a penalty corner in the 40th minute. Japan maintained its slender advantage until the final whistle to secure a hard-fought victory.
Malaysia Beat South Korea 3–1
Earlier in the day’s opening match, Malaysia defeated South Korea 3–1 after recovering from an equaliser to produce a strong second-half performance.
Azimuddin Kamaruddin opened the scoring for Malaysia with a field goal in the 10th minute. South Korea responded in the 31st minute when Song Hae-Song scored a field goal to level the contest at 1–1.
Malaysia regained the lead in the 36th minute through Mohammad Akhimullah Anuar Esook, who converted a penalty corner to make it 2–1.
Faisal Bin Saari then scored in the 50th minute to extend Malaysia’s lead to 3–1, which remained the final score.
With India delivering a commanding performance against China and Japan and Malaysia also securing victories, the day provided plenty of excitement for hockey fans at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.
