Korea and Pakistan Battle to a Dramatic Draw, While India and China Secure Commanding Victories
Moqi (China), 10 September 2024: The Hero Asian Champions Trophy unfolded a day filled with intense action, spectacular goals, and dramatic outcomes at the Moqi Hockey Stadium in Hulunbuir, China. All teams showcased remarkable resilience, thrilling fans with captivating matches that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.
In one of the most gripping encounters, Korea and Pakistan battled to a 2-2 draw, with Pakistan’s Hannan Shahid earning the Hero of the Match title. The match was a rollercoaster of emotions, featuring a late surge from Pakistan. Hannan Shahid scored two back-to-back goals in the 60th minute, briefly putting Pakistan ahead at 2-1. However, Korea equalized almost immediately with a last-gasp field goal from Sunghyun Kim. Despite Pakistan dominating early stages with multiple circle entries, Korea took the lead in the 16th minute through Jiwang Hyun. Hannan’s late efforts almost secured a victory, but Korea capitalized on a green card issued to Pakistan’s Sufyan Khan, resulting in a thrilling 2-2 draw.
Reflecting on the match, Hannan Shahid stated, “We are glad we could earn one point from this effort and not lose three. It was disappointing not to end up on the winning side, but we’ll come back stronger.”
Defending champions India maintained their impressive form with a commanding 5-1 victory over Japan. Fresh from their 3-0 win against China, India quickly established control with early goals from Sukhjeet Singh (2′) and Abhishek (3′). Their cohesive and attacking style saw Sanjay convert a penalty corner in the 17th minute, further strengthening their lead. Uttam Singh and Sukhjeet added to the tally late in the game. Japan managed to pull one back in the 41st minute through Kazumasa Matsumoto, but it wasn’t enough to stop India from surging to the top of the points table.
Hero of the Match, Abhishek, remarked, “It was a complete team effort today. We stuck to the basics, produced good attack, and ensured we were on target.”
Hosts China delivered a sensational performance, claiming a 4-2 win against Malaysia in front of a passionate home crowd. Despite Malaysia starting stronger with better ball possession, China seized the early advantage with Jiesheng Gao converting a penalty corner in the 9th minute. Malaysia equalized shortly after through Azrai Abu Kamal, but China’s disciplined counterattacks proved decisive. Gao struck again in the 32nd minute, followed by Changliang Lin’s goal in the 40th minute, pushing China to a 3-1 lead. Although Malaysia responded with a penalty corner goal from Faizal Saari in the 50th minute, China’s Jieming Chao sealed the game with a penalty stroke conversion in the 56th minute, securing their first win of the tournament.
With high-energy performances across the board, the Hero Asian Champions Trophy continues to deliver world-class hockey, setting the stage for even more electrifying encounters in the days ahead.
