Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann posing with the Indian team after it won the Hero Asian Champions Trophy in Mohali on November 5.
By Prabhjot Singh
Mohali (TIP): Trailing for the entire first half and 16 minutes into the second half, India staged a magnificent recovery to defeat Japan 4-1 in the gold medal match of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament at Olympian Balbir Singh Senior Hockey Stadium in Mohali on Thursday. With this win, India has completed its supremacy by winning all the continental titles this year.
Earlier, Malaysia defeated Korea 5-2 to win the bronze medal.
Japan, after taking the lead in the third minute to put the packed Olympian Balbir Singh Senior Hockey Stadium into silent mode, sustained the lead till the 46th minute before Shila Nand Lakra equalized and made the home team script yet another golden chapter of Indian hockey with a splendid 4-1 win.
Earlier, the Chief Minister, Bhagwant Mann, and the Governor of Punjab, Gulab Chand Kataria, went around various stands to acknowledge greetings from the spectators. Hardik Singh was presented a memento for playing his 200th international. Nilakant Sharma played his last international.
And those present to watch the final included the heroes of the 1975 World Cup team, Ajit Pal Singh and Aslam Dher Khan, and members of the 1980 Moscow Olympic champion team, Zafar Iqbal and the captain of the 1980 Olympic (women’s) team, Rupa Saini, besides former Indian skipper Rajpal Singh and his shooter wife, Avneet, and India’s former captain, Rani Rampal.
With Mandeep Singh joining Abhishek on the injured list, India started with Nila Kanta Sharma, playing his last international, and midfielder Hardik Singh playing his 200th international, while Amit Rohidas did not find a place in the starting XI.
Japan continued from where it left off against Malaysia in the first semifinal. With nothing to lose against the fancied home team and pre-tournament favorites India, it put everything into its game to give a message that it was not a mere pushover finalist. India had drowned Korea 8-1 in the second semi-final yesterday to give a strong message to the Japanese.
Japan, accepting the challenge, went on the offensive right from the start. Its intentions were fructified in the third minute when Kazumasa Matsumoto made full use of the lethargic Indian defense with a rasping D top drive that found Suraj Karkera on the wrong foot. A lead in the third minute for Japan sunned the nearly packed stadium.
Exhibiting tight man-to-man marking, the Japanese had countered every Indian move. While the home team tried to open the game by utilizing spaces, the Japanese were determined not to allow much freedom to the Indian offence line.
At one stage, it looked like the home team had run out of ideas against a determined opposition.
It was in the 13th minute that India had its first effective move when Shila Nand Lakra was brought down by Jutin Watanabe at the edge of the striking circle. The resultant review by the video referee supported a free hit, with India’s count of seeking further VRs remaining intact.
Japan survived a concerted Indian attack when Harmanpreet’s cross shot went unutilized in the 14th minute. Japan survived another Indian onslaught before the end of the first quarter.
Japan earned its first penalty corner in the 20th minute. Amit Rohidas, who came in, was the first runner and blocked the flick. Japan got its second after skipper Ralki Fujishima was challenged by Amit Rohidas. The award was upheld by the video referee. The second was deflected out.
India did miss a couple of sitters, especially the stingers moving across the goalmouth without getting touched or deflected.
A good move by Hardik went begging in the 30th minute.
Finally, India got its act together to force its first penalty corner in the 33rd minute. Harmanpreet’s flick was calmly padded by Japan’s goalkeeper Kisho Kuroda.
Skirmishes in the Japanese striking circle in the 37th minute proved unproductive, as even skipper Harmanpreet tried to slam the ball home from the middle of the circle.
India forced its second penalty corner in the 42nd minute. Trying an indirect, the ball moved around the Japanese circle before Shila Nand Lakra slammed it home to restore parity. The VR followed. The goal was upheld to make the score 1-1. Japan maintained the lead for 43 minutes.
It was Dilpreet who sent the crowd roaring with a volley into the net following a goalmouth melee in the 48th minute to put the home team in the lead for the first time.
Indians, with their tails up with a 2-1 lead, were now getting more into attacks, but their efforts were calmly brought down by the Japanese.
With eight minutes remaining, India earned another penalty corner, and this time Jugraj, who took the shot, flicked it into the net to make it 3-1.
Vivek Sagar Singh clinched the issue for the home team with a brilliant drive from the top of the circle following a rebound in the 54th minute.
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