Daily Times

LAHORE: Five years after they defeated Pakistan in a penalty shootout to win their maiden title in 2011, India reclaimed the Asian Champions Trophy Hockey Tournament crown beating the same opponents 3-2 in regulation time in Kuantan, Malaysia on Sunday. Apart from few lapses in the defense, the Indians bossed over their archrivals, playing an attacking game, splitting Pakistan’s defense on several occasions. After a silent first quarter, India fired in two goals in a gap of three minutes courtesy a penalty corner conversion from Rupinder Pal Singh and later a field goal from Affan Yousuf. Pakistan, on the other hand, were always found trying to comeback in the match and courtesy Aleem Bilal’s drag were able to make the score 2-1 at the end of the second quarter. In the third quarter, possession-play from Pakistan helped them create an opportunity for Ali Shan to tap one in and equalise the scores 2-2. However, when it mattered the most, India held their nerves better than the Greenshirts and Nikkin Thimmaiah was their tormentor as he pushed one in from a cross in the fourth quarter.

Pakistan head coach Khawaja Junaid Ahmad was quite optimistic in the post-match comments. “Players will take a lot of confidence from this final,” he said. “We have achieved many things today. We were unfortunate to not convert. It was a great game of hockey,” he added. This was the first time the teams were meeting in the final of a continental tournament since India dethroned Pakistan as the Asian Games champions in Incheon, South Korea in 2014. India had won the inaugural edition of the Asian Champions Trophy by defeating Pakistan in the final in 2011. Pakistan reversed the result in the title contest the next year and went on to retain it in 2013 by defeating Japan in the final. World No. 6 India were the favourites going into the tournament, but were without several seasoned players who had been rested to recuperate from injuries.