The Indian Men’s Hockey Team demolished Malaysia 8-1 in their third match of the Asian Champions Trophy held in Moqi, China, on Wednesday. Rajkumar Pal was the standout performer, netting a sensational hat-trick, with his goals coming in the 3rd, 25th, and 33rd minutes.
What a treat for hockey fans! With 9 goals scored and with more than 20 incredible saves, this match had it all for lovers of fast-paced, Aggressive hockey🌟 Which moment had you on the edge of your seat? Share your favorite highlight in the comments below! 👇#ACT2024 #MASVSIND… pic.twitter.com/UP6VfFievF
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) September 11, 2024
The Indian side came out with aggression, quickly taking control of the game. They scored three goals within the first seven minutes, showcasing their dominance right from the start. Rajkumar Pal opened the scoring with a deft piece of stickwork in the 3rd minute. Araijeet Singh Hundal followed up with a precision shot into the top corner in the 6th minute, while Jugraj Singh added another with a powerful drag-flick during a penalty corner in the 7th minute.
Malaysia struggled to find their footing and were forced to defend against a series of Indian attacks. They managed to withstand several penalty corners, but India continued to press hard. In the 18th minute, Malaysia earned their first penalty corner, but Indian goalkeeper Suraj Karkera made a routine save. An immediate counterattack by India led to another penalty corner, which the Malaysian defense managed to block.
India maintained their relentless pressure, and Captain Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner in the 22nd minute to make it 4-0. Rajkumar Pal added his second goal in the 25th minute, capitalizing on a rebound from a shot by Uttam Singh. The first half ended with India in a commanding 5-0 lead.
The third quarter saw India continuing their offensive onslaught. Rajkumar completed his hat-trick in the 33rd minute, scoring off a rebound from Malaysian goalkeeper Adrian. Malaysia managed to pull one back through Akhimullah Anuar in the 34th minute, but India’s Hundal scored his second goal in the 39th minute, followed by Uttam Singh’s strike in the 40th minute, extending the lead to 8-1.
With this victory, India has solidified their position at the top of the points table with nine points from three matches. They will next face Korea on Thursday, September 12, 2024, at 1:15 PM IST.
