The Indian men’s hockey team played out a thrilling 2-2 draw against Korea in their opening Super 4s clash at the Hero Men’s Asia Cup 2025.
Goals from Hardik Singh (8’) and Mandeep Singh (53’) ensured India shared the spoils after Jihun Yang (12’) and Hyeonhong Kim (14’) struck for the Koreans. The match began later than scheduled due to rain, but India wasted no time in asserting themselves. With quick circle entries and early penalty corners in the second and seventh minutes, the men in blue piled on pressure though without testing the Korean goalkeeper.
The breakthrough came in the 8th minute when Sukhjeet Singh dispossessed a Korean midfielder and released Hardik Singh, who surged through the centre, outpaced the backline, and coolly slotted past the keeper to give India a deserved 1-0 lead.
Korea’s Rapid Response
Korea, however, struck back almost immediately. In the 12th minute, a foul by Jugraj Singh inside the circle resulted in a penalty stroke, calmly converted by Jihun Yang into the top corner. Just two minutes later, the Koreans won a penalty corner and made it count, with Hyeonhong Kim’s precise drag-flick giving them a 2-1 advantage.
The second quarter saw India dominate possession, but Korea’s tight defensive structure and effective man-marking kept the Indian forwards at bay. In the 22nd minute, captain Harmanpreet Singh found Jarmanpreet Singh on the right flank, but his angled shot was denied by a strong save.
The third quarter followed a similar pattern: India created multiple opportunities but struggled with finishing. Sukhjeet Singh missed narrowly from a Manpreet Singh pass in the 41st minute, while Abhishek squandered two chances soon after. Harmanpreet had a penalty corner opportunity late in the quarter, but his drag-flick was blocked on the line by a defender.
Mandeep Strikes Late
India continued to chase the equaliser in the final quarter. Jugraj Singh’s drag-flick in the 49th minute was foiled by the first rusher, and Mandeep Singh’s backhand shot moments later was brilliantly saved. Finally, in the 53rd minute, perseverance paid off. Sukhjeet Singh slipped a clever pass through the Korean defence to find Mandeep Singh, who made no mistake with an easy finish into an empty net to level the game at 2-2.
Both sides had late penalty corner opportunities, but neither could convert. Abhishek nearly set up a winner for Sukhjeet in the 56th minute with a lobbed ball, but the attempt went narrowly wide. The match ended with honours even after four quarters of end-to-end hockey.
India will next face Malaysia on Thursday, September 4 at 7:30 PM IST, a game that could prove decisive in their bid to reach the final. Elsewhere in the Super 4s, Japan defeated Chinese Taipei 2-0 while Malaysia overcame China 2-0.
Fans can watch the Hero Asia Cup Rajgir Bihar 2025 live on Sony Sports Network in India, and globally on Watch.Hockey.
