India Crowned Asian Champions Trophy 2026 Winners After Beating Japan

India secured a 4-1 comeback victory over Japan to claim their third consecutive Asian Champions Trophy title. Captain Harmanpreet Singh credited the team's composure and disciplined play for the historic win in Mohali.

India men's hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh praised his team's composure and ability to stick to their plans throughout the match after the hosts staged a comeback to defeat Japan 4-1 in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on Thursday. Harmanpreet said the team's focus remained on executing their plans for the entire 60 minutes, irrespective of the scoreline, and credited the players for maintaining their composure, particularly in the final quarter.

"Our target and focus remained the same: to stay focused for the entire 60 minutes. Regardless of the score, we stuck to the plan we were given. We will definitely deliver a strong performance. In the final quarter, we managed to score some good goals. The outcome was the same, and it really comes down to how patiently you react to situations and how calm you remain. The whole team demonstrated that, and we certainly scored some excellent goals toward the end," Harmanpreet told ANI after the match.

A Record-Breaking Campaign

India extended their record to six Asian Champions Trophy titles and completed a hat-trick of consecutive triumphs, having also won the tournament in 2023 and 2024. The defending champions finished their campaign unbeaten, registering seven victories in as many matches.

Japan gave India an early scare when Kazumasa Matsumoto scored with a brilliant backhand in the third minute. The visitors held on to their 1-0 advantage until half-time before India turned the match around after the break. Shilanand Lakra restored parity in the 42nd minute through a penalty corner variation involving Harmanpreet. Dilpreet Singh then put India ahead in the 47th minute before Jugraj Singh converted a powerful drag-flick in the 52nd minute. Vivek Sagar Prasad completed the scoring a minute later to seal the 4-1 victory.

Player Reactions and Fan Support

India forward Mandeep Singh, who was part of the title-winning campaign, expressed his happiness at the team's back-to-back triumphs and thanked the spectators for turning up in large numbers to support the hosts. "It feels great that we have won back-to-back gold medals. Both teams were playing very well, and our second half went very well... I thank everyone who came here to watch the match, because this is the first time such a large crowd has gathered in Punjab," Mandeep said.

Former India women's hockey captain Rani Rampal, who was present at the final and the medal distribution ceremony, also spoke about the significance of hosting an international hockey tournament in Punjab and the support from the local crowd. "The feeling of playing on home ground is truly special—especially in a state like Punjab, which has contributed so many players to hockey, particularly to the men’s game. It’s wonderful that an international tournament is being held in Punjab for the first time, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to witness it. Many young children were also present, but perhaps the most heartening aspect was seeing the players’ families in the stands. Japan put up a strong fight against India today. In the first two quarters, the Indian team wasn’t quite at its best, while Japan clearly arrived well-prepared. However, once India shifted to its traditional, attacking style of play—which they began to implement towards the end of the third quarter—the game opened up," Rani said.

Rani, who represented India in 212 international matches and scored 134 goals during her playing career, was the youngest member of the national squad at the 2010 World Cup, aged just 15. India have now won the Asian Champions Trophy in 2011, 2016, 2018 (shared), 2023, 2024 and 2026. Japan, meanwhile, finished runners-up for the third time, having also lost the finals in 2013 and 2021. Earlier in the day, Malaysia secured the bronze medal with a 5-2 victory over South Korea after coming back from a goal down. (ANI)

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Asianetnews Editorial staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)