Asian Champions Trophy: India to face South Korea in semis
What's the story
The Indian men's hockey team is preparing to battle South Korea in the semi-final of the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy on September 16. The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, has maintained an impressive unbeaten streak throughout the tournament. As defending champions and two-time Olympic bronze medalists, they have demonstrated their prowess by defeating several formidable opponents. Here's more.
Winning streak
India's impressive performance in the tournament
India have displayed a strong performance in the tournament, remaining the only unbeaten team so far. They have secured victories against several strong opponents including China (3-0), Japan (5-1), Malaysia (8-1) and South Korea (3-1). In a nail-biting match, they also managed to edge out arch-rivals Pakistan with a 2-1 win. Every department of the team has contributed significantly to this winning streak.
Resilient performance
South Korea's journey to the semi-finals
South Korea have also shown resilience in the tournament, despite a 1-3 loss to India earlier. They managed to hold Malaysia to a 3-3 draw, eliminating them from further contention. Other notable performances include a high-scoring 5-5 draw against Japan and a close 3-2 victory over China. These results highlight their potential to challenge India in the upcoming match.
Anticipated clash
Other semi-final and potential India-Pakistan showdown
In the other semi-final of the tournament, Pakistan will take on hosts China. This match carries the anticipation of a potential India versus Pakistan final, a prospect that has fans on edge. Pakistan, under Ammad Butt's leadership, faces a formidable challenge against China who are brimming with confidence after their significant win against Japan in the last round-robin encounter.
Acknowledgment
India's captain acknowledges South Korea's strong defense
The semi-finals are set to take place at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, China. Before these matches, Malaysia will compete with Japan for the 5th and 6th positions. Harmanpreet Singh, India's captain, has expressed satisfaction with his team's performance despite limited rest and preparation time following their Olympic campaign. He also acknowledged South Korea's robust defense and counter-attack abilities as challenging factors for the upcoming match.
Information
Indian men's hockey team has maintained a 100% win record
The Indian men's hockey team has maintained a 100% record. India own 15 points with 21 goals scored and four conceded. Harmanpreet remains the main focus. He owns 203 career goals for India and scored a brace in each of India's last two matches.