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India started their Asian Champions Trophy title defence with a thumping 13-0 win over Bangladesh at Jalandhar's Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium on Tuesday.
In front of a passionate home crowd, Mandeep Singh managed a brilliant hat-trick, while skipper Harmanpreet Singh, Hardik Singh and Dilpreet Singh added a brace. Abhishek, Shilanand Lakra, Jugraj Singh and Nilakanta Sharma also scored a goal each, as per ESPN. Bangladesh had brief moments of counter-attacks which did not produce anything, and they could barely test Indian defence and goalkeeping. Nilakanta Sharma announced his retirement following the match, revealing that his international career will conclude after the tournament. Nilakanta, the Manipuri midfielder, has been a vital cog of the Indian line-up for close to a decade and was a part of the teams which won the Bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020 and the team which won the gold medal at the recently concluded Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya to qualify for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. In other clashes, Malaysia beat China 5-4 in a high-scoring thriller followed by Japan's 3-2 victory over South Korea. India's next match will be against China on October 29. The tournament is being held across two venues in Punjab the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar and the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali. Jalandhar will host all league-stage matches from October 27 to November 2, before the action shifts to Mohali for the business end of the tournament. The semi-finals and medal matches will be played at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium, with the semis scheduled for November 4 and the bronze-medal and gold-medal matches on November 5. With Bangladesh replacing Pakistan, who withdrew from the event despite being listed initially, the tournament is featuring title holders and reigning Asian Games champions India, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, China and Bangladesh. Fresh from successfully defending their Asian Games gold medal in Japan, five-time ACT winners India will enter the tournament as the top-ranked team and will look to continue their strong record in the competition. The tournament holds special significance for Punjab, a state that is regarded as the nursery of Indian hockey and has produced generations of iconic players who have contributed to the countrys rich hockey legacy. The return of international hockey to Punjab promises to bring the sport closer to its passionate fan base while showcasing the states enduring connection with the game. (ANI)
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