In a match that could well have been a tale of dominance on the scoreboard, the Indian men’s hockey team instead walked away with only a point, and a heap of regrets, after a 2-2 draw with defending champions Korea in their opening Super 4s fixture of the Asia Cup 2025 on Wednesday.
A rain delay of nearly an hour, caused by thunder, lightning and waterlogged turf at the Rajgir Sports Complex, didn’t dampen India’s early energy. They started the stronger of the two sides, immediately putting Korea on the back foot. A penalty corner in just the second minute hinted at intent, but a botched stop and a wild attempt by Manpreet Singh set the tone for a frustrating outing.
The first goal did come soon after. In the 8th minute, Sukhjeet Singh won the ball at half-line and released Hardik Singh, who drove into the circle with pace and precision to slam home the opener. But just as India looked to consolidate, a controversial moment swung the game.
In the 12th minute, Korea were initially awarded a penalty corner, but the TV umpire upgraded it to a penalty stroke after a foul by Jugraj Singh. Jihun Yang converted with ease. Two minutes later, Korea struck again through Hyeonhong Kim from a well-executed penalty corner, flipping the match on its head.
What followed was a familiar script — relentless Indian attacks, but wasteful execution. India earned six penalty corners but couldn’t convert even one. Forwards Abhishek, Sukhjeet, and Dilpreet Singh all had multiple open chances, but lacked either composure or finishing precision.
“We had more than a dozen clear chances and couldn’t finish. That’s where the difference was,” an Indian team official said post-match.
Midfielders Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Rajinder Singh and Manpreet tirelessly drove the game forward, while Korean goalkeeper Jaehan Kim, named Man of the Match, pulled off several crucial saves.
India’s persistence finally paid off in the 53rd minute when Mandeep Singh tapped in a pass from Sukhjeet Singh to level the score. Despite a last-ditch push, the winning goal never came.
The match ended with India dominating possession but settling for a draw — a result that leaves them with plenty to fix ahead of their next clash against Malaysia in less than 24 hours.
Result:
India 2 (Hardik Singh 8’, Mandeep Singh 53’) drew with Korea 2 (Jihun Yang 12’, Hyeonhong Kim 14’)
