Captain Harmanpreet Singh led admirably as the Indian men’s hockey team defeated defending champions Japan 5-1 to regain the Asian Games gold after nine years, their fourth place in the continental showpiece, and qualify for next Olympics year in Paris on Friday. The Indians, who had to settle for a bronze medal in the last edition in Jakarta, won gold for the fourth time at the Asian Games and the first since the Incheon edition of 2014. India’s other gold medals came in 1966 and 1998 , both times in Bangkok. South Korea won the bronze medal after a narrow 2-1 victory over host country China.
Harmanpreet (32nd, 59th minute) scored a brace through penalty corners, Amit Rohidas (36th) also sounded the board from a set-piece, while Manpreet Singh (25th) and Abhishek (48th) found the net after fielding efforts to seal the famous win for India.
Seren Tanaka converted a penalty corner for Japan in the 51st minute.
Harmanpreet thus ended the tournament as India’s top scorer with 13 goals, one ahead of striker Mandeep Singh.
The Indians, who finished the tournament undefeated, were by far the better team against Japan, which they had beaten 4-2 in the group stage.
The Indians usually used the flanks to great effect to build up their attacks and also used long balls down the line to perfection.
The Tokyo Olympics bronze medalists came out quickly and made a good number of circle penetrations, but failed to convert these into goals in the first quarter.
India played high-press hockey and put constant pressure on the Japanese defense.
They had their first chance in the fifth minute, but Lalit Upadhyay’s deflection from a pass from the left flank was saved by Japan goalkeeper Takumi Kitagawa.
The Indians continued to push hard and achieved their first penalty corner of the match, but Harmanpreet’s tap was brilliantly saved by an agile Kitagawa.
Two minutes into the second quarter, India earned another penalty corner, but the variation didn’t work as Rohidas’ tap went over the post.
India continued their attacking hockey and eventually took the lead in the 25th minute when Manpreet scored from a rebound with a powerful reverse strike from the top of the circle after Abhishek’s first attempt, from close range, was saved by the Japanese goalkeeper.
Two minutes after the break, Indian goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was alert in front of his goal and was perfectly placed to deny Japan’s attempt by blocking the ball with his legs.
Two minutes into the second half, India created three successive penalty corners and this time Harmanpreet was blazing on target with the final effort, sounding the board with a powerful drag move to the left of Kitagawa’s outstretched left leg.
Minutes later, Rohidas tripled India’s lead and found the net with a powerful high tap that beat Japanese goalkeeper Kitagawa.
Shamsher Singh then came close to registering his name on the scoresheet but was denied by Kitagawa.
It was complete domination by the Indians when Abhishek made the score 4-0 from a tight angle three minutes into the fourth and final quarter after a pass from vice-captain Hardik Singh.
With nothing to lose, Japan woke up in the final ten minutes and created two consecutive penalty corners, with Tanaka pulling one back.
Harmanpreet added salt to Japan’s wounds when he converted his second penalty corner just a minute before the final whistle.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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