Chennai: India defeated Malaysia 4-3 in a thrilling final to win the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 on Saturday. The match was played at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai.
India got off to a good start and took the lead in the first quarter through Jugraj Singh’s penalty corner goal. However, Malaysia equalized in the second quarter through Kamal Abu Arzai.
Malaysia then took the lead in the second quarter through Razie Rahim’s penalty corner goal and Aminudin Muhamad’s field goal. India, however, fought back and scored two goals in the third quarter through Harmanpreet Singh’s penalty stroke and Gurjant Singh’s field goal to level the scores at 3-3.
The match went into the final quarter with everything to play for. India then scored the winning goal in the 56th minute through Akashdeep Singh to seal a 4-3 victory.
This is India’s fourth Asian Champions Trophy title, after previously winning in 2011, 2016, and 2018 (joint winners with Pakistan). It is also India’s first major title since winning the 2018 Asian Games.
The win is a major boost for India’s preparations for the upcoming FIH World Cup, which will be held in India in January 2023. India will be looking to win their third World Cup title, after winning in 1975 and 1982.
The win was also a personal triumph for India captain Manpreet Singh, who was named the player of the tournament. Manpreet was in excellent form throughout the tournament, scoring four goals and providing two assists.
The other members of the Indian team who were impressive in the final were Harmanpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, and Akashdeep Singh.