Aichi-Nagoya: The Indian men’s hockey team continued its strong run at the Asian Games with a commanding 8-2 victory over South Korea on Thursday, with Dilpreet Singh producing another standout performance with a hat-trick.
Dilpreet continued his impressive form in the tournament, finding the net three times as India maintained its dominant start to the group stage.
Defending champions India had earlier recorded emphatic victories over Indonesia and Sri Lanka, winning 13-1 and 16-1, respectively. India will next face Japan on September 26, followed by Bangladesh on September 28.
India will be aiming to complete the group stage with a perfect record as it bids to retain its Asian Games men’s hockey title. The tournament also offers a direct qualification route to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
Shailanand Lakra gives India early lead
India started aggressively and opened the scoring in the fourth minute.
A pass from Abhishek was blocked by the South Korean defence, but the rebound fell to Shailanand Lakra, who made no mistake in putting the ball into the net.
Dilpreet then doubled India’s advantage in the ninth minute. He received the ball centrally and unleashed a powerful strike that hit the goalkeeper before finding the back of the net.
South Korea’s defensive lapse allowed India to establish a two-goal cushion early in the match.
Harmanpreet converts first penalty corner
India earned its first penalty corner in the 11th minute, and captain Harmanpreet Singh stepped up to convert it.
His successful effort put India 3-0 ahead and further increased the pressure on South Korea.
India continued to control possession and create opportunities, while South Korea struggled to mount a sustained response.
Abhishek added another goal before the end of the opening quarter, finishing a move after receiving assistance from Shailanand.
India ended the first quarter with a commanding 4-0 lead.
Dilpreet completes hat-trick
The second quarter initially passed without a goal, with India using aerial balls and maintaining pressure on the South Korean defence.
Dilpreet eventually found the net again in the 26th minute.
He collected a pass from Manpreet Singh and deflected the ball past the goalkeeper to make it 5-0.
South Korea continued to struggle to create clear chances, while India remained firmly in control.
India went into half-time with a 5-0 advantage.
Dilpreet completed his hat-trick in the 32nd minute.
He received a quick pass from Rajinder Singh before unleashing a tomahawk shot that found the net.
The goal further underlined Dilpreet’s importance to India’s attacking play in the tournament.
Abhishek adds seventh goal
India continued to win penalty corners but was unable to convert several of them.
The seventh goal eventually came from open play after a sustained team move.
Sukhjeet Singh’s shot was saved by the South Korean goalkeeper, but the rebound fell to Abhishek, who reacted quickly to finish the chance.
The goal made it 7-0 in India’s favour.
South Korea finally found a response in the 42nd minute, when Kim Jaeho scored to put his team on the scoreboard.
India still held a comfortable 7-1 lead at the end of the third quarter.
South Korea score again before Rajinder seals win
South Korea managed to score its second goal in the 52nd minute, with Kim Yongbok finding the net.
India, however, continued to create attacking opportunities and did not allow the late goals to change the outcome.
Rajinder Singh eventually completed India’s scoring with a late goal to make it 8-2.
The final whistle confirmed another emphatic victory for the defending champions.
India eye perfect group-stage record
The victory over South Korea was India’s third consecutive win in the group stage after the team’s big victories over Indonesia and Sri Lanka.
With Japan and Bangladesh still to face, India will look to maintain its momentum and finish the group stage unbeaten.
The team’s attacking form has been particularly impressive, with India scoring 37 goals across its first three matches while conceding only three.
With the Asian Games title and a direct pathway to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics at stake, India will now turn its attention to the remaining group-stage fixtures.