India secured a commanding 4-1 victory over Korea in the semi-final of the Asian Hockey Champions Trophy 2024, held at the picturesque Moqi Hockey Training Base on Monday. As defending champions, India will face hosts China in the final on Tuesday.

Uttam Singh opened the scoring for India in the 13th minute, followed by goals from Harmanpreet Singh in the 19th and 45th minutes, and Jarmanpreet Singh in the 32nd minute. Korea’s lone goal was scored by Yang Ji-hun in the 33rd minute.

India started the semi-final with aggression, with Abhishek’s reverse shot forcing a save from Korea’s goalkeeper, Jaehan Kim, early in the match. Uttam Singh maintained the pressure with a dynamic run down the right wing, setting up Raheel for a close-range shot that was also saved. India’s relentless attack finally paid off when Araijeet Singh delivered a cross from the right wing, allowing Uttam to tap in and put India ahead 1-0 in the first quarter.

India earned their first penalty corner early in the second quarter. On their second attempt, Harmanpreet Singh converted it to extend India’s lead. Sukhjeet continued to press with a strong run into Korea’s shooting circle, but his attempt to find a teammate fell short. Moments later, Jarmanpreet Singh skillfully deflected an aerial pass from Sumit into the goal, further widening India’s lead. Korea managed to score a penalty corner through Yang Ji-hun, making it 3-1.

As the third quarter wound down, both teams had scoring opportunities, but an error by Korea’s goalkeeper Jaehan Kim resulted in a penalty corner for India. Harmanpreet Singh’s well-placed flick beat the new keeper Daewon Oh, making it 4-1.

India maintained their dominance in the final quarter, with Abhishek and Araijeet forcing further saves from the keeper. Korea had a penalty corner chance with eight minutes remaining, but Hyeonhong Kim’s effort went wide. India controlled the remainder of the game to secure their place in the final with a 4-1 win.

Jarmanpreet Singh, the Hero of the Match, commented, “We played exceptionally well today and are thrilled to advance to the final. Sumit provided a fantastic pass for my goal, and I’m grateful to my roommate for his understanding and support.”

India will face China in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 on Tuesday at 3:30 PM IST.