Asian Games: Indian men's hockey team to face defending champions Japan in finals

Hangzhou: As the Indian men's hockey team prepares to take on the gold medal-winning Japan on Friday, the 19th Asian Games final is poised to be an exciting one.

Both teams will be extremely eager to win the Final and capture the elusive gold medal since they have a chance to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The last time India won the Gold at the Asian Games was back in 2014 in Incheon, South Korea. India has claimed the Asian Games Gold medal thrice since the inception of Field Hockey at the Asian Games, winning the title in 1966, 1998 and 2014. Meanwhile, Japan's Gold medal win in Jakarta five years ago has been their only title win in the competition so far.

Speaking on the upcoming final, Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh said: "There are always nerves at play when you enter a big match. We have been preparing for this tournament for a long time and this is the moment that we have all been waiting for. Winning the Gold medal and securing a spot for the Paris Olympics has always been our target.

"As a team, we have to ensure we do not allow the pressure of the moment to dictate our nerves, and that we continue to play freely and enjoy the game. If we are able to do that, I am confident we will be able to get the win."

India has won all their games so far in the competition and has already picked up a win over Japan in the Pool stage. In the Pool stage, India defeated Uzbekistan 16-0 and followed it up with a 16-1 win over Singapore.

After beating Japan 4-2, the Indian Men's Hockey Team picked up their biggest win ever over Pakistan by goal margin, defeating the neighbouring rivals 10-2. With a 12-0 win over Bangladesh, India reached the Semi-Finals, where they defeated Korea 5-3 in a thriller to secure a spot in the Final.

"We have already picked a win over Japan which gives our team the confidence when entering the competition. But we, as a team, never take any opponents lightly. Japan will be equally motivated to avenge the loss and have a really strong team as well that can shift the momentum of the game at any time. We have to remain strong in our defence and not allow any leaks in the defensive third.

"We also have to ensure we make the most of the chances that we create, especially when we enter the circle. The team that will be able to soak up the pressure in the best way possible will be in a better position on Friday," Harmanpreet added.

Japan also have an impressive record in the tournament, and their 2-4 defeat against India has been their only loss so far. Japan defeated Bangladesh 7-2 and then followed it up with a 10-1 win over Uzbekistan. After a 2-4 loss to India, Japan bounced back with a 16-0 win over Singapore and a 3-2 win over Pakistan to reach the Semi-Finals. Japan defeated the host China 3-2 to secure a spot in the Final.

Since 2013, India and Japan have met 27 times, in which India has won 22 times, Japan have won thrice, and two games have ended in a draw. During their match last week, India were in a comfortable position heading into the final quarter with a 4-0 lead but conceded two goals in the final three minutes.

Heading into the all-important Final, chief coach Craig Fulton said that his team needs to be wary of not giving away easy chances.

"We have performed well in the tournament and the fact that we have conceded only eight goals, and scored 63 goals in the tournament so far, showcases that we have done well in attack and as well as in defence. But all it takes is one goal to lose the big one, so we have to be cautious. We should not allow the opposition to get away with easy chances and we keep our defensive forces strong at all points in the game," Fulton said.

One of the best features of the Indian team in the ongoing competition has been the fact that there have been 15 different goal scorers for India so far. Mandeep Singh (12) and Harmanpreet (11) have scored the highest number of goals for India in Hangzhou till now.

"It is always good to see when the entire team is contributing up front and getting shots on target. It showcases that everyone is equally motivated, and the players are willing to switch up from their position, whenever possible. It always puts pressure on the opposition to know that every member of our team is equally capable of getting the ball into the net.

"We hope we continue in the same vein of form as we have done so far in the tournament in the Final against Japan and get the win that we have been working for over the past few months," Fulton signed off.

With inputs from IANS