Asia Cup 2025: Harmanpreet’s Hat-Trick Seals Thrilling Win for India Against China

The Indian Men’s Hockey Team kicked off their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over China.

August 29, 2025: The Indian National Men’s Hockey Team started their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a thrilling 4-3 win over China. The Men in Blue came back late in the game thanks to a masterclass from skipper Harmanpreet Singh. The match, which took place on Friday, was full of ups and downs for the home audience at the newly built Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium.

Before the game, there was a special ceremony to mark the birth anniversary of hockey great Major Dhyan Chand. Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and other important people paid respect to the “Hockey Wizard.”

India went on the attack at the outset of the game, but China struck first, shocking the home team with a goal from Du Shihao in the first quarter. India’s answer came in the second quarter. First, Jograj Singh tied the game, and then Harmanpreet Singh scored his first goal of the day to put India ahead.

It was a very exciting third quarter. Harmanpreet made it 3-1 for India, but China rallied back hard and scored two quick goals to draw the game at 3-3. When Harmanpreet missed a penalty stroke, the tension was high. He must have been regretting it as China fought back.

The Indian captain, on the other hand, had the last word. Harmanpreet scored his third goal in the last quarter, giving the home team a 4-3 lead. The Men in Blue hung on to their little lead, beating a tough Chinese team to achieve a memorable triumph and a solid start to their continental campaign.

The triumph is especially important because the competition is a qualifier for the 2026 Men’s FIH Hockey World Cup, and the winner gets a spot in the tournament. India’s next games in Pool A are against Kazakhstan and Japan.