Asian Champions Trophy final: India beat Japan 4-1 for sixth title

India are Asian champions again. The hosts came from a goal down to beat Japan 4-1 in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on Thursday (5 November), winning a record sixth title.

It is also a hat-trick of titles for India, who won in 2023 and 2024 as well, after earlier wins in 2011, 2016 and 2018. They finished the tournament unbeaten.

Japan stunned the home crowd early. Kazumasa Matsumoto scored a field goal in the third minute, and Japan’s defence, with goalkeeper Kisho Kuroda in top form, kept India out for most of the next 40 minutes. Captain Harmanpreet Singh had a penalty-corner flick blocked by Kuroda, and a reverse-flick from the rebound hit the post.

The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute. After Kuroda kept out Harmanpreet again from a penalty corner, Aditya Lalage slipped a reverse pass to Shilanand Lakra, who scored from close range. Japan challenged the goal, claiming the pass was dangerous, but the TV umpire let it stand, The Times of India reported.

Then India ran away with it in the final quarter. Dilpreet Singh put them ahead in the 48th minute after Hardik Singh set him up, Jugraj Singh scored from a penalty corner in the 53rd, and Vivek Sagar Prasad made it 4-1 a minute later.

Vice-captain Hardik Singh was playing his 200th international match, and PTI described him as the star of India’s midfield. In the bronze-medal match earlier in the day, Malaysia beat South Korea 5-2.

The final capped a dominant week for India, who had thrashed South Korea 8-1 in Wednesday’s semi-final, as The Indian Idiot reported. They had also beaten Japan 4-1 in the league stage in Jalandhar.

“BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPIONS! INDIA DEFEND THEIR CROWN! 🇮🇳🏆 Team India are crowned champions of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 after a commanding 4-1 victory over Japan in the Final!” Hockey India posted on X.