Jalandhar: International hockey returned to Punjab with a spectacular victory for the Indian team. The Indian team, which came to defend the title in the Asian Champions Trophy on Tuesday, made a strong start to its campaign by defeating Bangladesh 13-0. In the match played at Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium, Indian players adopted an aggressive stance from the beginning. Mandeep Singh scored a hat-trick, while captain Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh and Dilpreet Singh scored two goals each. Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Neelkant Sharma and Jugraj Singh also increased the margin of victory by scoring goals.
Had India taken control of the match in the first half itself?
The Indian team put pressure on Bangladesh from the initial minutes and continuously created opportunities to score goals. Better coordination between the players and fast passing forced the opposing team’s defence to retreat. Bangladesh counter-attacked on a few occasions, but the Indian defence did not give them a chance to convert into goals. Along with India’s aggression, the defence and goalkeeping were also effective in the match.
Why did Neelkant Sharma announce his retirement?
Amidst India’s big win, the announcement of experienced midfielder Neelkant Sharma was also in the news. The 31-year-old Manipur player said that he will retire from international hockey after the Asian Champions Trophy. He says that he wants to leave space for young players so that the new generation can get an opportunity to move forward in the Indian team. Neelkant has been a part of the Indian teams that won bronze medals at the Tokyo Olympics and gold medals at the 2022 and 2026 Asian Games.
How was the performance of Malaysia and Japan in other matches?
On the opening day of the tournament, Malaysia registered a thrilling win by defeating China 5-4, while Japan defeated South Korea 3-2. India’s next match will be against China on 29 October. The five-time champion Indian team has recently returned after winning the gold medal in the Asian Games and will now want to win another title on home soil.
When will the matches be played in Jalandhar and Mohali?
Asian Champions Trophy matches are being organised in two cities of Punjab. Jalandhar’s Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium will host the league stage matches from October 27 to November 2. After this the tournament will reach Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali. The semi-finals will be played here on 4th November and the bronze medal and final matches will be played on 5th November.
Why is the return of hockey in Punjab special?
Punjab has long been considered the strong nursery of Indian hockey. Many villages in and around Jalandhar have given international-level players to the country. In such a situation, through this competition, the local spectators have got a chance to see the Indian team playing among them. The 13-0 win at home has given a great start to India’s campaign in the tournament. Now eyes will be on the next match against China.
