Rajgir, 9th Sept 2025: Defending champions India defeated South Korea to claim the title of Asia Cup Men’s Hockey Champions. The final match, played at the local Bihar University Sports Ground, saw India dominate the game completely and secure their 4th Asia Cup title.
From the Indian side, Dilpreet Singh scored 2 goals, Sukhjeet Singh added another, and Amit Rohidas scored a goal from a penalty corner. Jugraj Singh missed a penalty stroke. South Korea’s Son Dae-Young also managed to score a goal. India won the final with a convincing scoreline of 4-1.
With this victory, India has directly qualified for the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, which will be held in Belgium and the Netherlands next year.
Earlier, in the classification matches, Malaysia defeated China 4-1 to secure third place. Dilpreet Singh was named the best player of the tournament for his outstanding performance, including scoring two goals in the final. Odisha’s player Amit Rohidas also scored a goal in the final.
Match Highlights:
India took the initiative right from the start, scoring within the first minute.
On the left flank, Sukhjeet Singh converted an opportunity inside the D to give India a 1-0 lead.
In the 9th minute, India was awarded a penalty stroke, but Jugraj Singh’s attempt was saved by South Korean goalkeeper Daehan Jang.
The second quarter saw intense attacking from both sides but no goals, due to strong defense.
In the 28th minute, Sanjay’s pass found Dilpreet Singh, who capitalized on the South Korean defense’s lapse to score India’s second goal, taking the lead to 2-0 at halftime.
Early in the second half, South Korea launched multiple attacks but failed to breach the Indian defense.
India’s counterattacks were also thwarted by the Korean defense.
In the 40th minute, an Indian player stopped a consecutive Korean penalty corner attempt.
In the last minute of the third quarter, Dilpreet scored his second goal and India’s third.
In the fourth quarter, Amit Rohidas scored a goal from a penalty corner, India’s fourth goal. However, Son Dae-Young scored a late consolation goal for Korea.
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Asia Cup Champions History (1982-2025):
Year Champion Runner-up
1982 Pakistan India
1989 Pakistan India
1994 India South Korea
2009 India Pakistan
2017 India Malaysia
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India’s victory in the 2025 Asia Cup marks a strong continuation of their dominance in Asian hockey and earns them a direct berth in the upcoming World Cup.