The Indian hockey team won the title for the sixth time by defeating Japan 4-1 in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026. After losing the initial lead, India made a brilliant comeback and scored three goals in the last quarter.
Sports Desk. The Indian hockey team made a spectacular comeback by defeating Japan 4-1 in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026. With this, the team captained by Harmanpreet Singh won this title for a record sixth time. At one time in the match, India was trailing 0-1, but the team turned the match around with a strong performance in the second half.
In the final, Japan played aggressively from the beginning. He put India under pressure by scoring a goal in the third minute of the match. After this, the Japanese players attacked continuously and on the basis of strong defense, they prevented the Indian team from scoring goals. Reigning champion India had to struggle a lot to achieve parity.
Shilanand Lakra equalized in the third quarter
The decisive moment for India came in the third quarter. Shilanand Lakra scored a brilliant goal to make the score 1-1. This goal boosted the confidence of the Indian players and the team started strengthening its hold in the match. After the draw, the Indian players adopted an aggressive stance and put continuous pressure on Japan.
India scored three goals in the last quarter
The Indian team looked completely dominant in the fourth quarter. Dilpreet Singh scored a goal to give India a 2-1 lead. After this Jugraj Singh scored a goal to make the score 3-1. The Japanese team was trying to make a comeback, but the Indian players did not give it any chance.
Vivek Sagar Prasad scored another brilliant goal in the final stages of the match. After getting a rebound from the Japan goalkeeper, Vivek hit the ball hard from the edge of the striking circle. The ball went between the goalkeeper’s legs and ended up in the goalpost. With this goal, India took a 4-1 lead and sealed the title.
India became champion for record sixth time
With this win against Japan, the Indian team maintained its dominance in the Asian Champions Trophy. India created a new record in the tournament by winning the title for the sixth time. Despite falling behind in the initial minutes, the team maintained patience and ended Japan’s challenge with its aggressive play in the last quarter.