India edge China 4-3 in Asia Cup opener as recent encounters favour Men in Blue
India defeated China 4-3 at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium in Bihar in the opening match of the Men's Hockey Asia Cup 2025, with Captain Harmanpreet Singh scoring a hat-trick and his final penalty corner in the last quarter securing the win.
The two teams have met predominantly in Asian competitions such as the Asian Games and the Asia Cup, with India historically holding the upper hand. India have won eight Olympic gold medals in hockey, the last in 1980, have one World Cup title and multiple Asian Games wins, while China has not claimed a major international hockey tournament. The rivalry is described as regional rather than long-standing, with China emerging more recently as a competitive side.
China finished ahead of India for the first time at a major tournament when they took bronze at the 2006 Asian Games, a result the source reports as a shock at the time. India, however, maintained superiority in subsequent regional events, including winning gold at the 2022 Asian Games while China finished fourth. Those results are cited as examples of India retaining overall dominance.
In the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 opener at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium in Chennai, India beat China 7-2. Harmanpreet Singh scored twice in the fifth and eighth minutes, Sukhjeet Singh scored in the 15th, Akashdeep Singh in the 16th, Varun Kumar in the 19th and 30th minutes, and Mandeep Singh added a goal in the 40th minute; China’s goals were by E Wenhui in the 18th and Jiesheng Gao in the 25th.
On another occasion in Hulunbuir, India defeated host China 3-0 in an Asian Champions Trophy match. Sukhjeet Singh opened in the 14th minute with a one-handed deflection from a Jugraj Singh pass, Uttam Singh scored in the second quarter after capitalising on a rebound from a blocked shot, and Abhishek sealed the game in the final quarter with a reverse hit from a Manpreet Singh pass; India missed drag-flicks from Harmanpreet Singh and Jugraj Singh while China had a few penalty-corner chances.
India beat China in the final of the Men's Asian Champions Trophy 2024, with Jugraj Singh’s 51st-minute strike helping India defend the title and secure a record-breaking fifth win in the event. The source notes that China reached that final for the first time but were beaten by the Paris Olympics bronze medallists.
During the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025, India progressed unbeaten from Pool A while China also qualified with two wins; after a 4-3 pool-stage victory over China featuring Harmanpreet Singh’s hat-trick, India registered a 7-0 Super 4 win that included goals from Shilanand Lakra, Dilpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh (3-0 at halftime), Raj Kumar Pal and Sukhjeet Singh in the third quarter, and two late strikes from Abhishek. That emphatic Super 4 victory helped India reach the final, where they defeated defending champions Korea 4-1 to claim the title.
Both teams continue to aim for improved positions in international hockey, with the source stating India are seeking to regain former prominence while China looks to establish itself further on the international stage.
