India on Sunday won the Men’s Asia Cup 2025, defeating defending champions South Korea by 4-1 at the Rajgir Hockey Stadium, Bihar. India lifted the Asia Cup trophy after a gap of eight years, and with this victory, it qualified for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, which will be held in the Netherlands and Belgium.
This was India’s fourth win at the Asia Cup. Their last triumph came in 2017 in Dhaka.
In the final, for India, Dilpreet Singh (2), Sukhjeet Singh (1) and Amit Rohidas (1) scored the goals, while Son Dain scored South Korea’s only goal of the match.
How India Led to Victory At The Asia Cup Final: Performance At A Glance
Quarter 1: The scorer in quarter 1 for India was Sukhjeet Singh, who scored the goal within a minute. It was a fine assist from captain Harmanpreet Singh, who puzzled the South Korean goalkeeper Jaehan Kim.
Quarter 2: Quarter 2 saw South Korea holding India. Jugraj received a green card. With a little action, both teams were unable to find a substantial attack.
Quarter 3: Quarter 3 saw two goals for India when Dilpreet Singh hit two shots inside the goal post. Then India took a strategy to hold the position after leading by 3 goals.
Quarter 4: In quarter 4, Amit Rohidas scored the finisher. However, Son Dae-il also scored for South Korea to resist. But the defending champions did not survive India’s early lead.
India’s Asia Cup Victories: Details
With this victory in Rajgir, India won the fourth Asia Cup title. The previous triumphs came for India in 2003, 2007 and 2017.
To claim the title, in 2003, India beat Pakistan 4-2 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2017, India beat South Korea 7–2 in Chennai, India. And the third one India won, beating Malaysia 2–1 in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
PM Modi Congratulates Team India For Asia Cup Hockey Victory
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the Men’s Hockey Team for winning the Asia Cup in Rajgir. Taking to the X, PM Modi wrote, “Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team for their splendid win in the Asia Cup 2025 held in Rajgir, Bihar. This win is even more special because they have defeated the defending champions, South Korea.”
Congratulations to our Men’s Hockey Team for their splendid win in the Asia Cup 2025 held in Rajgir, Bihar. This win is even more special because they have defeated the defending champions, South Korea!
This is a proud moment for Indian hockey and Indian sports. May our players… pic.twitter.com/zjEexa2gCN
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 7, 2025
“I would also like to appreciate the Government and people of Bihar, whose efforts have ensured Rajgir hosted a brilliant tournament and has become a vibrant sporting hub, “He added.
Following the historic win, Hockey India announced Rs 3 lakh to each player and Rs 1.5 lakh to the supporting staff.
What Harmanpreet Said After Victory
Following India’s Asia Cup win and consequent direct qualification to the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, skipper Harmanpreet Singh hailed the forwards for their performances and vowed to put together the “best” World Cup squad. He also expressed his team’s solidarity with victims of the Punjab floods.
He said, “I want to thank the Bihar government for taking the initiative, and the crowd here also has been quite supportive.”
Asia Cup Victory: Road To Hockey World Cup 2026
With this victory, India ended their eight-year wait to regain their title and qualified for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026 in the Netherlands and Belgium.
India has won only one World Cup title in 1975 after defeating Pakistan by 2-1 1975.
In 2026, India will have a good chance to win the World Cup crown.
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