The Indian hockey team created history on Tuesday (September 17) at Moqi Training Base after beating China 1-0 in a tense final to lift the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy title. Jugraj Singh was the difference between the two sides, as he scored the only game of the match in the fourth quarter, with skipper Harmanpreet Singh turning provider and getting the assist.
This is the fifth time in history that India has won the tournament, having previously lifted the trophy in 2011, 2016, and 2023. The second-most successful team in the competition is Pakistan, who have lifted the trophy three times. South Korea won the title in 2021.
This was the first time in history that China reached the final, marking their best-ever finish in the tournament's history.
India's flawless Title Victory
The Paris Olympics bronze medalists had a flawless run to the title as they won the trophy by winning all seven games. In the group stage, India started their campaign with a 3-0 win over China before beating Japan 5-1. Later, they thrashed Malaysia 8-1 before getting the better of South Korea 3-1. In their final game in the first round, India beat arch-rivals Pakistan 2-1 in a tense clash. In the semi-finals, India got the better of 2021 champions South Korea with ease by a 4-1 margin.
The Harmanpreet Singh-led team have won the title in back-to-back editions for the first time in history. Last year, they won the tournament on home soil after beating Malaysia 4-3 in the summit clash in Chennai. Previously, India also won the competition in 2011 and 2016.
Pakistan finished in third place after beating South Korea 5-2 earlier in the day. The three-time champions were beaten by China in the semi-final on Monday (September 16) in a nervy penalty shootout.
Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh finished as the second-highest goal scorer in the competition with seven goals. The list was topped by South Korea's Yang Ji-Hun.