NEW DELHI: India's men's
hockey
team clinched a historic fifth
Asian Champions Trophy
title, defeating China 1-0 in a tightly contested final in China.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh, recently shortlisted for the
FIH Player-of-the-Year Award
, attributed the team's success to the strong camaraderie and unwavering trust among the players.
The final, decided by a late goal from
Jugraj Singh
, showcased the tenacity and resilience of the Indian team.
Despite facing a determined Chinese defense that limited their scoring opportunities, India remained composed and capitalized on a crucial opportunity to secure the victory.
Harmanpreet emphasized that the team's recent string of successes, including gold medals at the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy and the
Hangzhou Asian Games
, along with a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics, has fostered a deep sense of unity and belief within the squad.
"The final was really intense; the Chinese were breathing down our necks throughout the game and made it really difficult for us to create a clear goal-scoring chance," Harmanpreet told Hockey India. "But the team over the last year has built immense trust in each other. We are willing to die for one another. It was this sense of unity reassuring us that we will find a way to win the game together."
"The gold medal in last year's Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai, the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asian Games and the bronze from the Paris 2024 Olympics have instilled a deep camaraderie within the team," he added.
While acknowledging the team's achievement, Harmanpreet stressed the importance of continuous improvement.
"We are proud to have retained our title but the work doesn't stop now. We have areas we need to improve; we need to build depth in our squad as well. The team will head back to camp after a short break and start preparing for the tournaments ahead to make our supporters proud again," he added.
Vice-captain Vivek Sagar Prasad echoed Harmanpreet's sentiments, explaining, "All the teams in the group stage were tough to play against. The bronze medal from the Olympics painted a target on our backs; we were the team to beat. But every single person on the team stepped up to make it seem like we were cruising past our opponents. The youngsters slotted in seamlessly, Krishan and Suraj alternated to bail us out of tricky situations."
"The defenders remained reliable, and the midfielders and forwards ran riot on the pitch. All in all, it was very enjoyable," he concluded.
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