India advanced to the semifinals of the Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2024 with an 8-1 victory over Malaysia. Raj Kumar Pal, a young striker, scored a hat-trick in the third, 25th, and 33rd minutes.
Araijeet Singh Hundal (6th and 39th), Jugraj Singh (7th), Harmanpreet Singh (22nd), and Uttam Singh (40th) all scored goals. Malaysia’s only goal came from Akhimullah Anuar (34th).
With this victory, India now leads the standings, having won three straight games, including victories over China (3-0) and Japan (5-1). The competition will feature six teams in a round-robin format, with the top four advancing to the semifinals on September 16.
India’s forwards dominated, scoring five field goals and taking three penalty corners. Early in the game, Raj Kumar scored a single goal that set the tone, and Malaysia was under constant attack. India led 5-0 at halftime, as Raj Kumar completed his hat-trick shortly after the interval. Though Malaysia got one back, India proceeded to score, with Araijeet and Uttam adding to the total.
India’s next opponent will be Korea, followed by Pakistan in the league final.
