Men’s hockey team returns to India after winning Asian Champions Trophy

 New Delhi, Sep 19 : The Indian senior men’s Hockey team received a warm welcome at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here following their record-breaking victory at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy, in the wee hours of Thursday.

The Indian side led by captain Harmanpreet Singh secured the trophy for the fifth time after beating hosts China 1-0 in the final at the Moqi Hockey Training Base on Tuesday.

Just a month after their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics which saw them secure their second consecutive bronze medal, the side went unbeaten throughout the tournament and registered their place in the knockout stage in emphatic fashion with a 3-0 win over China, 5-1 win over Japan, 8-1 win over Malaysia, 3-1 win against Korea and A slender 2-1 win over rivals Pakistan to top their pool. A 4-1 win over Korea in the semi-finals had set India’s finals against China, in what can only be described as the toughest game of the tournament.

Jugraj Singh’s lone goal late in the fourth quarter helped India overcome a fighting effort from the hosts and grab the victory. The win made India the most successful team in the tournament’s history with a record-extending five titles. India also became the only team to win the title five times, having retained the trophy for the second consecutive edition after their triumph in 2023. India had previously achieved back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2018. To reward the team’s efforts, Hockey India announced a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh for each player and Rs 1.5 lakh for each support staff member.