India continued their unbeaten run in the Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament with a 3-1 victory over South Korea. Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice, and striker Araijeet Singh Hundal added another goal, securing India’s fourth consecutive win.
This win solidifies India’s position as the defending champions, having already qualified for the semifinals. They will wrap up their league phase with a match against archrivals Pakistan on Saturday.
India’s earlier victories in the tournament included wins over China (3-1), Japan (5-1), and Malaysia (8-1). Thursday’s match against South Korea was their toughest test yet, with the Koreans managing to keep India from scoring in the second quarter.
Hundal put India ahead in the 6th minute, followed by Harmanpreet’s penalty corner goal in the 9th minute. The Koreans briefly reduced the deficit with a penalty corner goal from Jihun Yang, but Harmanpreet restored India’s two-goal lead with his second goal.
India is now aiming for a record-extending fifth Asian Champions Trophy title.