Defending champions India came from behind to beat Japan 4-1 in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on Thursday night, winning the title for a record sixth time and completing a hat-trick of consecutive titles.
Late blitz after early shock
Japan stunned the home crowd in the 3rd minute when Kazumasa Matsumoto scored with a brilliant backhand. India dominated possession but could not find a way through until the third quarter.
The equaliser finally came in the 42nd minute, when Shilanand Lakra finished a penalty-corner variation set up by captain Harmanpreet Singh. India then ran riot in the final quarter:
| Minute | Scorer | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 3' | Kazumasa Matsumoto (JPN) | 0-1 |
| 42' | Shilanand Lakra (IND) | 1-1 |
| 47' | Dilpreet Singh (IND) | 2-1 |
| 52' | Jugraj Singh (IND), drag-flick | 3-1 |
| 53' | Vivek Sagar Prasad (IND) | 4-1 |
Perfect campaign
India finished the tournament unbeaten with seven wins from seven matches, having also beaten Japan 4-1 in the league stage at the Olympian Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.
India's six Asian Champions Trophy titles came in 2011, 2016, 2018 (shared), 2023, 2024 and 2026. For Japan, it was a third final defeat — after 2013 and 2021 — and they remain without a maiden title.
Malaysia take bronze
Earlier, Malaysia came from 1-2 down to beat South Korea 5-2 in the third-place match. Abu Kamal Azrai struck twice, in the 45th and 50th minutes, and was named Man of the Match, while captain Marhan Jalil sealed the win with a 58th-minute penalty corner.
