The opening day of the Men’s Asia Cup delivered high drama, big wins and plenty of goals at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium on Friday. Favourites India, defending champions South Korea, 2018 Asian Games winners Japan and Malaysia – the four title contenders – began their campaigns with contrasting victories. In all, 26 goals were scored across four matches, setting the tone for an action-packed tournament.
Harmanpreet Singh Steals the Show
Skipper Harmanpreet Singh once again proved India’s talisman, scoring a superb hat-trick (20’, 33’, 47’) to script a nail-biting 4-3 win against a resilient Chinese side. Jugraj Singh (18’) netted India’s other goal, while Shihao Du (12’), Benhai Chen (35’) and Jiesheng Gao (41’) struck for China.
India fell behind early but roared back through quick penalty-corner conversions by Jugraj and Harmanpreet. China, however, refused to back down, equalising twice to level the game 3-3 going into the final quarter. With nerves jangling in front of a vocal home crowd, Harmanpreet completed his treble to secure a narrow but crucial win.
Malaysia Recover from Early Scare
World No. 12 Malaysia were stunned by a 12th-minute strike from Bangladesh’s Abu Sayeed Niloy, but responded strongly to win 4-1 in Pool B. Akhimullah Anuar (36’), Muhajir Abdul Rauf (48’) and Syed Cholan (54’, penalty corner) sealed victory after Faizal Saari (23’) had drawn Malaysia level.
Bangladesh threatened early but couldn’t cope with Malaysia’s pace and precision after half-time. The result gave Malaysia a comfortable start to their campaign despite the early jitters.
Ruthless Korea Stamp Authority
Defending champions South Korea left no room for doubt about their credentials, thrashing Chinese Taipei 7-0 in a one-sided Pool B clash. Dain Son starred with a hat-trick (17’, 29’, 58’), while Jihun Yang scored twice from penalty corners (27’, 50’). Seyong Oh (53’) and Yoonho Kong (54’) added to the tally as Korea turned the contest into a procession.
Japan Overwhelm Kazakhstan
Japan, the 2018 Asian Games gold medallists, matched Korea’s scoreline by dismantling Kazakhstan 7-0 in Pool A. Kosai Kaware (1’), Naru Kimura (5’), Koji Yamasaki (13’, 36’), Ken Nagayoshi (48’), Shota Yamada (50’) and Ryosuke Shinohara (54’) found the net in a commanding display. With three goals in the opening quarter and another late flurry, Japan’s dominance never looked in doubt.
What’s Next
Day two will see Bangladesh take on Chinese Taipei, while Korea meet Malaysia in Pool B. In Pool A, China face Kazakhstan before hosts India take on Japan in a much-anticipated showdown.
