India in a stunning come back retained the title for the 6th time at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali, Punjab. The Indian men in saffron defeated the visitors 4-1 after going down in the third minute.
Vivek Sagar Prasad got the ball on the edge of the striking circle after a rebound. He slamed it powerfully through the gap between the legs of the Japan goalkeeper.
The visitors persistent attacks and brilliant defence added to India’s troubles. The moment came in the third quarter when Shilanand Lakra scored the equaliser. The attacks by Dilpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad in the final quarter each put India in the driver’s seat.
Led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, India head into the summit clash after an unbeaten run in the tournament. The hosts secured their place in the final with an emphatic 8-1 win over South Korea in the semi-final on Wednesday.
Japan, meanwhile, booked their place in the final after overcoming Malaysia in the semi-final.
India and Japan have already faced each other once in the league stage, where the hosts registered a 4-1 victory.