India thrash Korea 8-0 to finish Asian Champions Trophy league stage unbeaten
India beat South Korea 8-0 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar on Monday to complete the league phase of the Men’s Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2026 unbeaten, recording their fifth straight win.
India’s scoring was spread across the lineup, with Dilpreet Singh (8′, 40′) scoring twice and Jugraj Singh (11′), Harmanpreet Singh (15′), Shilanand Lakra (33′), Sukhjeet Singh (34′), Sanjay (36′) and Angad Bir Singh (60′) adding the other goals; Harmanpreet now leads the tournament scorers with nine goals. The match was the final league-stage fixture in Jalandhar, where Hon’ble Chief Minister of Punjab, Shri Bhagwant Mann, was in attendance, and India finished top of the pool with five wins from five matches.
India started on the front foot and created early pressure, Sukhjeet’s fourth-minute backhand being saved by Korea goalkeeper Kim Jaehyeon before Dilpreet opened the scoring in the eighth minute with a backhand finish following an aerial pass from Jugraj. Jugraj converted a penalty corner in the 11th minute after Harmanpreet’s initial effort was blocked and Vishnukant Singh set up Jugraj from the rebound, doubling India’s lead.
Harmanpreet extended the lead with a penalty-corner strike in the 15th minute to make it 3-0 at the first break. Korea showed greater intent in the second quarter and earned several penalty corners, but the Indian defence held firm and Pathak denied Son Dain in a one-on-one in the 27th minute with a timely save using his outstretched foot; India led 3-0 at half-time despite missed chances, including an Aditya Arjun Lalage shot that went wide and a penalty corner ruled out for play with the back of the stick.
India widened the margin in the third quarter with four goals. Shilanand Lakra finished from a penalty-corner variation in the 33rd minute after a sequence involving Harmanpreet and Jugraj; Sukhjeet deflected Aditya’s baseline pass for a 34th-minute strike; Sanjay reacted quickest to score in the 36th minute after Dilpreet’s attempt was saved; and the seventh goal arrived in the 40th minute when Sanjay controlled Harmanpreet’s long aerial pass and struck towards goal, with Dilpreet getting a touch past the goalkeeper.
The final quarter saw India ease the tempo while Korea held more possession but created few clear chances; Suraj Karkera made a save when Korea threatened and a 58th-minute penalty corner produced no goal. Angad Bir Singh completed the 8-0 victory in the 60th minute with a solo effort, winning possession in midfield, driving into the circle and pushing the ball underneath the advancing goalkeeper, and Korea failed to convert a late penalty corner in the closing seconds.
Sanjay was named Player of the Match and said, "We wanted to top the table and we did that. We are very happy. I want to request the crowd to support us the same way in Mohali," he said. Other Monday results saw China and Bangladesh draw 1-1 and Japan beat Malaysia 2-1, leaving the final league standings with India on 15 points and a +29 goal difference, Japan second on 10, Malaysia third on nine, Korea four on six, China fifth on two and Bangladesh sixth on one.
India will face Korea again in a semi-final at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on November 4 at 1900 hrs IST; Japan will meet Malaysia in the other semi-final at 1630 hrs IST on the same day.