Midfielder Raj Kumar Pal's impressive hat-trick led India to a resounding 8-1 victory over Malaysia in their third group match of the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 hockey tournament at the Moqi Hockey Training Base in Hulunbuir, the People's Republic of China on Wednesday.
Raj Kumar Pal opened the scoring for the world No. 5 India with goals in the 3rd, 25th, and 33rd minutes to complete his hat-trick. Araijeet Singh Hundal added two goals in the 6th and 39th minutes, while Jugraj Singh (7'), captain Harmanpreet Singh (22'), and Uttam Singh (40') each contributed a goal. Malaysia's only goal came from Akhimullah Anuar.
With this victory, India solidified their position at the top of the points table with nine points from three matches.
India's performance was exceptional from the start, with Raj Kumar Pal showcasing his skills with a brilliant solo run into the D to score in the third minute. The team quickly added two more goals in the opening quarter, with Araijeet Singh and Jugraj Singh finding the back of the net.
In the second quarter, Harmanpreet Singh, a standout goal-scorer at the Paris 2024 Olympics, scored his first goal of the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 with a trademark drag flick. Raj Kumar Pal added another goal to give India a 5-0 lead at halftime.
Raj Kumar Pal completed his hat-trick early in the third quarter, seizing an opportunity from a Malaysian goalkeeper's clearance. Despite Malaysia pulling one goal back through Akhimullah Anuar, India responded swiftly with two more goals to secure an 8-1 victory.
Araijeet Singh demonstrated his skill with a well-executed goal inside the box, followed by Uttam Singh's powerful strike past the keeper after an initial penalty corner attempt was saved.
The Indian hockey team is set to compete against the People's Republic of Korea, ranked 14th in hockey, in their upcoming group match in the Asian Champions Trophy on Thursday.
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