Harmanpreet the ‘HERO’ once again as India beat Japan 3–2 in Asia Cup

Harmanpreet SIngh, ‘HERO’ once again for India. 

Khel Today Bureau

Rajgir: India were once again well-served by skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who scored twice to help India secure a hard-fought 3–2 victory over Japan in the 2025 Men’s Hero Asia Cup Hockey.

It was India’s second win in Pool A and once again the credit went to Harmanpreet, who scored twice through penalty corners. The first goal was scored by Mandeep Singh early in the fourth minute.

In the second match, China outplayed Kazakhstan 13-1 in another Pool A clash. That boosted China’s chances of reaching the Super 4s.

The India-Japan match began at a frenetic pace and India drew first blood early as Mandeep Singh fired a clinical finish in the 4th minute to put India ahead. The move came from smart pass by Sukhjeet Singh.

A little later in the fifth minute India doubled their lead as Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner, dispatching a fierce drag-flick to give India a 2–0 lead.

Japan fought back and their resilience produced a reward in the third quarter, when Kosei Kawabe struck back with a beautifully executed field goal in the 38th minute to reduce the margin to 2–1.

Harmanpreet Singh again rose to the occasion late in the dying seconds of the third quarter. He struck another penalty corner goal to restore India’s two-goal cushion. It took his personal tally to five goals for the tournament.

Japan responded well and displayed a lot of grit. They pulled one back with less than two minutes left. Kawabe was the scorer.

India held on well and ensured a 3-2 win.

This win keeps India unbeaten with two victories from two matches in Pool A, making them the favourites.

Final Score:

India 3 – 2 Japan

India: Mandeep Singh (4′), Harmanpreet Singh (9’, 44’);

Japan: Kosei Kawabe (38′, 58′)

China win by a big margin

China delivered a massive 13–1 victory over Kazakhstan in a one-sided affair. This boosted China’s chances of reaching the Super 4s.

Kazakhstan stunned the Chinese defense with an early breakthrough. Just 12 seconds into the match, Agymtay Duisengazy converted a penalty corner with precision to hand Kazakhstan an unlikely 1–0 lead in the Hero Asia Cup’s first match of the day.

That reverse saw China quickly regroup and launched a massive attack.

Once China found their rhythm, it was one-way traffic. Their attack was relentless and clinical, with goals coming in nearly every quarter.

Du Shihao (10′, 53′), Qijun Chen (13th), Changliang Lin (15′, 39′), Benhai Chen (29th and 56th), Yuanlin Lu (31′, 42′, 44′), Jiesheng Gao (33rd) and Xiaolong Guo (41st) were the scorers.

With this victory, China moved into second place in Pool A, overtaking Japan on goal difference. They now face a crucial final group-stage encounter against Japan, where even a draw would likely seal their place in the Super 4s.

China 13 – 1 Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan: Agymtay Duisengazy (1′)

China: Du Shihao (10′, 53′), Qijun Chen (13′), Changliang Lin (15′, 39′), Benhai Chen (29′, 56′), Yuanlin Lu (31′, 42′, 44′), Jiesheng Gao (33′), Xiaolong Guo (41′).