India hammer Japan 5-1 to reclaim gold in men's hockey, qualify for Paris 2024

Skipper Harmanpreet Singh led admirably as the Indian mens hockey team mauled defending champions Japan 51 to reclaim the Asian Gamesgold their fourth in the continental showpiece after nine years and qualify for next years Paris Olympics on FridayThe Indians who had to be content with a bronze medal in the last edition in Jakarta thus won their fourth Asian Games gold and first since the 2014 Incheon editionIndias other gold medals came in 1966 and 1998 both times in BangkokWatch MiddaySportsIndia hockey goalkeeper PR Sreejesh speaks to midday after the team won the Asian Games gold medal beating Japan 51 to confirm their ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics Video by Ashwin FerroVia ashwinferro IndianHockey Sports SportsUpdate pictwittercomHc9DECqc3Kmdash Mid Day mid_day October 6 2023South Korea won the bronze medal after eking out a close 21 win over hosts ChinaHarmanpreet 32nd 59th minutes scored a brace through penalty corners Amit Rohidas 36th also sounded the board from a setpiece while Manpreet Singh 25th and Abhishek 48th found the net from field efforts to register the famous victory for IndiaSeren Tanaka converted a penalty corner for Japan in the 51st minutesHarmanpreet thus finished the tournament as Indias top scorer with 13 goals one ahead of striker Mandeep SinghThe Indians who ended the tournament unbeaten were by far the better side against Japan whom they had defeated 42 in the pool stagesThe Indians mostly used the flanks to great effect to build their attacks and also used downtheline long balls to perfectionAlso ReadAsian Games 2023 India win firstever medal in womens sepaktakrawThe Tokyo Olympics bronze medallists were quick to get off the blocks and made quite a few circle penetrations but failed to convert them into goals in the first quarterIndia played highpress hockey and constantly put the Japanese defence under pressureThey got their first chance in the fifth minute but Lalit Upadhyays deflection from a pass from the left flank was saved by Japanese goalkeeper Takumi KitagawaThe Indians kept on pressing hard and in the process secured their first penalty corner of the match but Harmanpreets flick was brilliantly saved by an agile KitagawaTwo minutes into the second quarter India earned another penalty corner but the variation didnt work as Rohidass flick went over the postIndia continued their attacking hockey and finally took the lead in the 25th minute when Manpreet scored from a rebound with a powerful reverse hit from top of the circle after Abhisheks initial try from close range was saved by the Japanese goalkeeperTwo minutes from halftime India goalkeeper PR Sreejesh was alert in front of his goal and was perfectly placed to deny Japans try blocking the ball with his legsTwo minutes into the second half India secured three consecutive penalty corners and this time Harmanpreet was bang on target with the final attempt sounding the board with a powerful dragflick to the left of Kitagawas extend left legMinutes later Rohidas tripled Indias lead finding the net with a powerful high flick that beat Japan goalkeeper Kitagawa all ends upShamsher Singh then came close to registering his name in the score sheet only to be denied by KitagawaWith agency inputs