After returning to international duty following their heroic bronze medal winning performance at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Indian men's hockey team began their defense of the Asian Champions Trophy title with an assured 3-0 victory over China.
Coached by Harmanpreet Singh, India showed no signs of Olympic hangover and dominated possession against the hosts from the outset. Sukhjeet Singh opened the scoring midway through the first quarter with a well-placed deflection.
India maintained their spell of pressure and doubled their advantage in the second quarter thanks to former junior captain Uttam Singh's calm finish from close range. Abhishek rounded off the scoring just before halftime, bulleting a shot into the back of the net.
While China tried launching occasional attacks after the break, the experienced Indian defense stood tall to preserve their clean sheet. Skipper Harmanpreet expressed delight in keeping the opposition at bay.
With the three points already in bag, India will turn their focus to an even tougher challenge against Japan in their next group match on Monday. The defending champions and pre-tournament favorites will be hoping to qualify for the final and retain the prestigious Asian Champions Trophy title.
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