With 10 points from three wins and one draw, India top the league table. They had already qualified for the semis before the match.
Chennai: Already through to the semifinals, hosts India maintained their dominance in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament with a 3-2 victory over South Korea in their fourth round robin fixture 0n Monday, August 7, a PTI report in The Tribune, Chandigarh, says.
In the sixth minute India surged ahead with their first goal through Nilakanta Sharma Sharma was at the right place as he scored the goal after Sukhjeet Singh did a brilliant run along the baseline and an inch-perfect pass.
India’s joy was short-lived as the Koreans came back with the equaliser barely six minutes later, Kim Sunghyun managing to beat goalkeeper Krishan Pathak, who was playing in his 100th international game, with a mistimed hit.
India, however, regained their lead as Harmanpreet Singh struck off a penalty corner in the 23rd minute. The skipper’s drag-flick went in after a deflection off a defensive runner wrong-footed the goalkeeper.
Results
- India bt South Korea 3-2
- Pakistan bt China 2-1
- Malaysia bt Japan 3-1
Mandeep Singh, who was named the Player of the Match, made it 3-1 in the 33rd minute. The striker received a bouncing ball near the top of the semicircle, made a sharp turn and unleashed a tomahawk into the bottom corner.
Yang Jihun pulled one back off a penalty corner in the 58th minute but India held on to the lead in the final two minutes. South Korea earned 11 penalty corners, while India could get just four. The hosts also got a penalty stroke after Harmanpreet’s drag-flick hit the foot of the post-player, but the captain was denied by the Korean goalkeeper.
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