India maintain winning run, beat Korea 3-1 in Hero Asian Champions Hockey

Khel Today Bureau

Hulunbuir (China): Skipper Harmanpreet Singh led from the front and scored twice in India’s comfortable 3-1 win over South Korea in the Hero Asian Champions Hockey Championship. It was India’s fourth consecutive win for the defending champions.

Paris Olympics bronze medallist India had already defeated China 3-0, Japan 5-0 before thrashing last year’s runner-up Malaysia 8-1.

The scorers for India were Araijeet Singh Hundal (8th minute) and skipper Harmanpreet Singh (9th, 43th) while Korea’s lone goal came from Jihun Yang in the 30th minute off a penalty corner.

Harmanpreet Singh was adjudged the Hero of the Match for his two goals.

India are sure of a semi-final place but will play Pakistan on Saturday in their last league match.  The top four teams from the league stages will qualify for the semi-finals scheduled on Saturday, while the final will be played on Sunday.

Earlier Malaysia got their first win 5-4 against Japan. Last year’s runner-up Malaysia needed the win to stay alive with hopes of a semi-final berth.

India began well and scored twice early in the first quarter to  take 2-0 lead.  Araijeet Singh Hundal, who scored twice against Malaysia, scored the first goal in the eighth minute before Harmanpreet, India’s star drag flickers, considered one of the best in the world, added a second goal in the ninth minute. He scored once more in the 43rd minute.

Korea’s lone goal was scored by Jihun Yang in the 30th minute from a penalty corner.

Indians began on an offensive note as Araijeet made good use of a pass from Sukhjeet Singh. A minute later, Raj Kumar Pal, who scored a hat-trick against Malaysia a day earlier, got India a penalty corner and Harmanpreet duly converted it,

Meanwhile, goalkeeper Suraj Karkera was impressive under the bar, denying Korea on a few occasions in the second quarter.

India were held at bay by Korea in the second quarter and just as  the second quarter was about to end, Korea pulled a goal back. Yang scored the goals.

The Koreans secured back-to-back penalty corners in the 35th minute India defended bravely, but India held on and then got back their two-goal advantage when Harmanpreet scored with a powerful low flick to the left of the Korean goalkeeper Jaehan Kim in the 43rd minute.

Though India conceded a penalty in the fourth quarter, the defence held on and India won comfortably.

Earlier, Malaysia edged out Japan for their first win with a 5-result in the opening match of Thursday at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy here.

Malaysia got their goals through Syed Cholan (12th, 40th), Norsyafiq Sumantri (21st), Syarman Mat (47th) and Kamal Abu Azrai (48th)

The win helped Malaysia climb to No.4 in the points table and raise hopes of making the semi-finals. Placed right at the bottom of the table Malaysia needed a win to stay in contention for a last four spot.

Malaysia won a 12th minute PC and Syed Cholan was on target and it became 2-0 in the 21st minute when Norsyafiq Sumantri scored a field goal.

Japan responded with back-to-back goals in the 24th and 28th minute through penalty corner specialist Ken Nagayoshi.

Japan, winners of the Sultan of Azlan Shah Cup, came back from the 10-minute break after the second quarter and immediately scored a goal in the 36th minute through a field goal by Tsubasa Tanaka and went 3-2 up.

Into the third quarter, Malaysia hit back and after several circle entries they found success with Syed Cholan scoring from a PC. That equaliser energised Malaysia as they came back into the fourth quarter with two back-to-back goals in the 47th and 48th minute through Syarman Mat and Kamal Abu Azrai. That put them 5-3 up.

Japan tried hard but struck just once in the 51st minute through Kazumasa Matsumoto, as Malaysia hung on to the lead and won the match 5-4.

The Hero of the Match was Malaysia’s Aiman Rozemi.