Asian Games, men's hockey: India reach final, eye gold medal
What's the story
India reached the final of the men's hockey event at the 2023 Asian Games currently underway in Hangzhou, China. The Indian men's side beat South Korea 5-3 to qualify for the gold-medal match. India had reached the semi-final after finishing as Pool A toppers. The Indian men's hockey side eyes its fourth gold medal at the Asian Games. Here are further details.
Match
A look at the match summary
Hardik Singh (5'), Mandeep Singh (11'), Lalit Kumar Upadhyay (15'), Amit Rohidas (24'), and Abhishek (54') were the scorers for India in the semi-final. On the other hand, Jung Manjae (17', 20', and 42') smashed a hat-trick for South Korea. However, it was too late as the Indians were consistent in terms of scoring.
Results
India remain unbeaten
India topped Pool A with five wins and 15 points before reaching the semis. They started their journey with a 16-0 win over Uzbekistan followed by a 16-1 victory over Singapore. India defeated reigning champions Japan 4-2 before thrashing Pakistan 10-2. They finished the Pool A fixtures with a 12-0 win against Bangladesh. India have now beaten South Korea 5-3 to reach the finals.
Medal
India aiming for their fourth Asian Games gold medal
The Indian men's hockey team won three gold medals in 1966, 1998 and 2014 at the Asian Games. India's silver medals came in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1974, 1978, 1982, 1990, 1994, and 2002. India have won the bronze medal in 1986, 2010, and 2018 respectively. Notably, Pakistan have won the most number of gold medals at Asian Games (8).