India Beat China 5-2 to Continue Winning Run in Asian Champions Trophy

JALANDHAR, Oct 29: Defending champions India continued their impressive campaign at the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026 with a convincing 5-2 victory over China in their second league stage encounter at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium on Thursday.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh and forward Sukhjeet Singh scored two goals each, while Jugraj Singh added another to help India register their second successive victory in the continental tournament. The hosts displayed attacking strength, effective penalty corner execution and impressive coordination to overcome a spirited Chinese challenge.

The victory strengthened India’s position in the competition as the five-time champions continued their pursuit of a third consecutive title. Having opened their campaign with a commanding 13-0 win against Bangladesh, the Indian side entered the China encounter with considerable confidence and expectations from the home supporters.

However, unlike their opening match, India faced a considerably tougher contest against China, whose players showed greater defensive organisation and looked dangerous during counterattacks.

India initially dominated possession and attempted to put pressure on the Chinese defence through quick passing and attacking movements. The visitors, however, maintained a compact defensive structure and prevented the hosts from creating clear scoring opportunities during the opening exchanges.

The breakthrough eventually came in the 12th minute when Sukhjeet Singh produced an excellent individual effort. Jugraj Singh delivered a long aerial pass from deep inside India’s half, which Sukhjeet controlled brilliantly before lifting the ball over the advancing Chinese goalkeeper.

The goal provided India with an important advantage and increased the intensity of their attacking approach. China responded by attempting to exploit spaces in the Indian defence and created opportunities through quick movements around the striking circle.

India’s goalkeeper and defenders remained alert, preventing the visitors from finding an immediate equaliser. The Chinese side, however, continued to press and earned a penalty corner in the second quarter.

Peng Yang converted the opportunity in the 26th minute with an accurate drag-flick, bringing China back into the contest at 1-1.

India responded almost immediately through their captain. Harmanpreet Singh converted a penalty corner in the 27th minute with a powerful drag-flick, restoring the hosts’ advantage and providing the team with fresh momentum.

The Indian skipper once again demonstrated his importance in set-piece situations, using his precision and experience to trouble the Chinese defence.

India entered the second half with a narrow 2-1 lead but quickly increased the pressure. Harmanpreet scored his second goal in the 31st minute through another successful penalty-corner conversion, extending the advantage to 3-1.

Sukhjeet then completed his brace in the 34th minute. The forward capitalised on a well-constructed attacking move involving Harmanpreet and Aditya Arjun Lalage, finishing from close range to put India in a commanding position.

The goal further strengthened India’s control over the match, although China refused to surrender. The visitors reduced the deficit in the 36th minute when Chen Chongcong converted a penalty corner to make the score 4-2.

The Chinese side continued to search for opportunities, but India maintained its defensive organisation and prevented the opposition from building sustained attacking pressure.

Jugraj Singh eventually sealed the result in the 47th minute with another successful penalty-corner conversion. His goal extended India’s lead to 5-2 and effectively ended China’s hopes of mounting a comeback.

Sukhjeet Singh’s impressive contribution earned him the Player of the Match award. His two field goals highlighted his finishing ability and attacking awareness, while Harmanpreet’s performance once again underlined his importance to the Indian team’s penalty-corner strategy.

India’s attacking performance was supported by effective midfield coordination, with Hardik Singh playing an important role in linking defence and attack. The team also demonstrated the ability to recover quickly after conceding goals, an aspect that proved important during China’s brief comeback attempts.

The Indian players showed greater composure during the closing stages, protecting their advantage and ensuring that the visitors did not create enough opportunities to threaten the result.

The tournament’s opening matches have highlighted the competitive nature of the competition. India defeated Bangladesh 13-0 in their opening fixture, while China had suffered a narrow 4-5 defeat against Malaysia.

In the other matches played on Thursday, Malaysia defeated South Korea 3-1, while Japan registered a 1-0 victory over Bangladesh.

India’s next challenge will be against Japan on Friday, October 30, at the same venue. The encounter is expected to provide another important test for the defending champions as they seek to maintain their winning momentum against a competitive Asian opponent.

The six participating teams are competing in a single round-robin league, with the top four advancing to the semifinals. The league stage will continue in Jalandhar until November 2 before the tournament moves to Mohali for the knockout matches.

The semifinals are scheduled for November 4, followed by the final and third place match on November 5.

India will aim to maintain consistency in their remaining league fixtures and secure a strong position ahead of the knockout stage. The victories against Bangladesh and China have provided an encouraging beginning, but the coaching staff will also look to improve defensive coordination and maintain discipline against stronger opponents.

With experienced players such as Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Jugraj Singh and Sukhjeet Singh delivering important performances, India have demonstrated their attacking depth in the early stages of the competition.

The defending champions will now look to carry this momentum into their remaining matches and strengthen their bid for another continental crown.