PremiumIndia dominates Japan 5-0, secures final berth against Malaysia in Asian Champions Trophy 2023
Indian hockey icon PR Sreejesh played his 300th international game vs Japan.
Last Updated: 10.11 PM, Aug 11, 2023
India, squaring off against Japan in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 semi-final, secured a commanding 5-0 triumph at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai on Friday.
With this win, India will face Malaysia in the final who had defeated reigning champions South Korea 6-2.
Akashdeep Singh, Harmanpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh, Sumit, and Karthi all played pivotal roles in contributing to the resounding victory.
The occasion was made even more special as the Indian hockey icon PR Sreejesh marked his 300th international game.
As the favourites to triumph, India remained faithful to their form, having maintained an unbeaten streak throughout the tournament. In the group stage, they claimed the top spot on the points table with 13 points garnered from five matches, comprising four wins and a draw. The sole blemish on their record was a 1-1 draw against Japan.
Their passage to the semi-finals was secured with an emphatic 4-0 win against arch-rivals Pakistan in their final group-stage encounter. India's triumph propelled them to the semi-finals, while Pakistan's journey came to an end.
Meanwhile, Japan concluded their campaign in the fourth position, amassing five points from five matches—a tally that featured one victory, two draws, and two losses.
As for Malaysia, Faizal Saari, Shello Silverious, Abu Kamal Azrai, and Najmi Jazlan scored the goals for the winning side. Woo Cheon Ji and Jonghyun Jang found the back of the net for Korea.