Asia Cup Hockey 2025 Day 6: India Beat Malaysia, China Stun South Korea

Bangladesh vs. Kazakhstan:

Kazakhstan’s tournament just went from bad to worse, as they were thrashed by Bangladesh 5-1, which helped setup two classification matches, 7/8^th place match between Chinese Taipei and Kazakhstan and 5/6^th place match between Japan and Bangladesh.

Bangladesh scored early via a penalty corner in the 10’. In the first half itself, Bangladesh managed to score two more goals, and eventually sealing their victory. In the third quarter as well, Bangladesh continued to dominate the Kazakh defence by scoring twice more but Kazakhstan against the run of play managed to score a goal, which they had been longing for in the entire tournament. Defender Roman Sarkar was awarded the player of the match for his brace and excellent defensive effort.

Bangladesh are now set to play Japan on the 7^th of September, 2025 and Kazakhstan end their campaign against Chinese Taipei on the 6^th of September, 2025.

South Korea vs. China:

 In a battle of tenacity and tactical discipline, China withstood relentless pressure from South Korea to notch a vital 3–0 victory. Despite conceding 12 penalty corners, South Korea’s most of any match, the Chinese defence held firm, repelling wave after wave of attacks. With two of their leading scorers, Shihao Du and Yuanlin Lu, sidelined by suspension, China demonstrated the strength of their system over individual stars.

Benhai Chen, stepping up in his teammates’ absence, converted the first penalty corner in the 13’ to break the deadlock. For the rest of the first half, South Korea dominated possession and hovered around China’s circle without troubling the scorers, China effectively absorbed the pressure by retreating into a resolute low block. Late in the third quarter, Jiesheng Gao capitalised on another penalty corner, burying a drag flick in the 43’. Just a minute later, Benhai Chen struck again, slotting the ball home to finish to seal the 3–0 scoreline.

In the final quarter, China’s back line held unflinchingly, stopping every South Korean attack with disciplined marking and timely interceptions. Their ability to defend penalty corners and hit clinical corners underlined why this side remains formidable, even after an earlier Super 4 loss to Malaysia. It was a statement win for China, proving that their collective effort and tactical superiority can overcome any challenge. With this defeat, South Korea are out of the tournament but China are still alive. China will now play India on the 6^th of September, and hope South Korea can beat Malaysia when they play on the 6^th of September as well.

Malaysia vs. India:

Malaysia caught the home crowd off guard when Shafiq Hassan pounced on a lightning counter attack to net in the second minute. India's defence, which had been looking shaky, seemed exposed until the addition of Jarmanpreet Singh steadied the ship. The defensive cover proved to be vital as India slowly took control of the game.

In spite of gaining a few penalty corners in the early part of the second quarter, India found it difficult to translate their penalty corner chances into goals. The breakthrough was eventually achieved in the 17^th minute when Manpreet Singh, India's most experienced campaigner in this tournament, scored from a rebound of a penalty corner to equalize the scores. India further extended their lead only two minutes later as Sukhjeet Singh converted a peach of a team move. The momentum kept going when Shilanand Lakra scored from a brilliant deflection off a pass in the 24th minute, putting India in charge at 3–1 at halftime. India controlled possession in the last quarter but were initially unable to break Malaysia's defensive ring. Their sustained attacking pressure eventually paid off when they won another penalty corner. Jugraj Singh's drag flick hit the post, but the rebound was picked up and sent to Manpreet Singh, who from the wide position set up Vivek Sagar Prasad for an easy tap in finish in the 38^th minute. The Malaysians' challenge was largely undermined by the loss of the playmaker Fitri Saari, who was suspended for the game due to disciplinary problems in their last encounter with China. Their star striker Akhimulla Anuar, the top scorer of the tournament with 10 goals, was effectively nullified by India's defensive line. Malaysia Head Coach Sarjit Kundan spoke to PixelSports after the match: "The Indian defenders checked him very well today." This dominating performance was a marked departure from India's recent grinding encounters against China and Japan in the group stages, and the disappointing draw against South Korea. The sweeping nature of this win finally proved why Sarjit Kundan and Roelant Oltmans have all along termed India as outright favourites to win the title. India assumed first position in the Super 4s standings with four points from two games. Malaysia will play South Korea on the 7th of September in their last group match, while India will face China once more on the same day. After these decisive matches, we will get our finalists for the Hero Asia Cup, Rajgir, Bihar, 2025.