Hockey Asia Cup: India beat Japan 3-2 for second straight win

RAJGIR: Skipper Harmanpreet Singh continued to play awe-inspiring hockey, scoring a brace as India defeated a fighting Japan 3-2 to qualify for the Super Four stage of the Men’s Asia Cup here on Sunday.

After scoring a hat-trick in the opener against China, Harmanpreet (5th, 46th minutes) converted two penalty corners, while Mandeep Singh struck a fine field goal in the fourth minute to give the host a deserving win.

For Japan, Kosei Kawabe (38th, 58th minutes) scored both the goals.

With two wins in as many games, India is leading Pool A with six points and is ahead of Japan and China, who have one win each.

India will conclude its group engagement with the match against Kazakhstan on Monday, while the winner of the tie between Japan and China will decide the other Super Four team from Pool A.

India displayed a much-improved performance from its previous match. It looked more coordinated and played fast-paced hockey, which resulted in frequent forays inside the rival circle.

India got its first chance as early as in the second minute when Harmanpreet found Manpreet whose shot from just inside the circle went inches wide. It didn’t take India too long to take the lead as it surged ahead a couple of minutes later through Mandeep’s fine field goal.

A brilliant set-up by Harmanpreet, Jarmanpreet Singh and a final feed by Sukhjeet Singh found Mandeep in front of the goal. Mandeep beat two defenders and the goalkeeper with his body movement to push the ball in.

India earned back-to-back penalty corners in the fifth minute and Harmanpreet scored from the second to double India’s lead.

Two minutes before the end of the first quarter, Japan secured its first penalty corner, followed by another but on both the occasions Indian goalkeeper Krishan Bahadur Pathak, playing his 150th international match, made fine saves to keep the lead intact.

Japan had its chances in the second quarter in the form of four back-to-back penalty corners but the Indians defended stoutly.

HIL to be played in 3 venues next year

Hockey India League’s next edition will be held at three venues instead of two in January 2026, Federation president Dilip Tirkey said on Sunday.

The top Hockey India (HI) official said the men’s HIL will continue to be an eight-team competition but the women’s event could see participation of six teams instead of present four.

He also said that two teams -- Gonasika (men) and Odisha Warriors (2025 women champions) have withdrawn from the competition after just one season, citing personal reasons.

“HIL will happen both in men and women category. In men mostly same teams will be there apart from Gonasika which withdrew because of personal reasons and we will name their replacement soon,” Tirkey said on the sidelines of the ongoing men’s Asia Cup here.

“There will be no less than four teams in women and eight in the men’s competition. We were thinking of increasing women teams to six, talks are on.”