New Delhi: On October 29, Defending champions India defeated China 5-2 in the men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2026 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar, securing their second consecutive victory in the tournament.
Sukhjeet Singh and Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh scored two goals each, while Jugraj Singh added one to secure India’s victory. Sukhjeet scored in the 12th and 34th minutes and was named Player of the Match. Harmanpreet converted penalty corners into goals in the 27th and 31st minutes, while Jugraj scored in the 47th minute. For China, Yang Peng scored in the 26th minute and Chen Chongcong in the 36th minute.
India began their campaign with a commanding 13-0 victory over Bangladesh. Although China posed a tougher challenge, India maintained their attacking momentum and secured a 5-2 win despite conceding two goals. In other matches held on October 29, Malaysia defeated South Korea 3–1, while Japan secured a narrow 1–0 victory over Bangladesh.
India top the points table with six points from two matches and a goal difference of +16. Meanwhile, Malaysia and Japan also have six points each, with goal differences of +3 and +2, respectively.
India will face Japan on October 30 at 7 pm IST in Jalandhar. The six-team tournament follows a round-robin format, with the top four teams advancing to the semi-finals. The league stage will conclude on November 2, followed by the semi-finals in Mohali on November 4 and the medal matches on November 5.
