India's men's national field hockey team has climbed to the third place in the FIH rankings following their triumph in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023.
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India’s men’s national field hockey team has climbed to the third place in the FIH rankings following their triumph in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023. This victory not only places them ahead of England in the rankings but also sets them up as a strong contender for the upcoming Asian Games 2022. India’s rise in the rankings comes as a result of their total points of 2771.35 as they overtook England’s 2763.50.
However, they are still behind the Netherlands and Belgium, who lead with 3095.90 and 2917.87 points, respectively. This latest ranking marks India‘s second appearance at No. 3 in the FIH standings, which they also achieved beforehand in 2021 when they secured a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics 2020. That also marked India’s first Olympic medal in the sport in 41 years.
Meanwhile, other Asian teams such as Malaysia, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, and China maintain their respective positions in the FIH rankings, with Malaysia holding the ninth spot, followed by South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, and China in the 11th, 16th, 18th, and 28th positions respectively.
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The Asian Champions Trophy 2023 final was a nail-biter, with India defeating Malaysia 4-3. India’s team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, pulled off a spectacular comeback and erased a 1-3 deficit at halftime. The goals for India were scored by Jugraj Singh (9’), Harmanpreet Singh (45’), Gurjant Singh (45’), and Akashdeep Singh (56’). On the other hand, the Malaysian side managed to put on an amazing fight, owing to goals from Abu Kamal Azrai (14’), Razie Rahim (18’), Aminudin Muhamad (28’).
India’s successful outing has led them to become the most accomplished team in the history of the Asian Champions Trophy, surpassing three-time champions Pakistan. In the 2021 edition of the event, India finished third. With the Asian Games 2022 in Hangzhou beginning from September 23, this win will help India in riding high on confidence.
Earlier in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023, India displayed dominant performances and topped the league stage with four wins and a draw against reigning Asian Games champions Japan. Their impressive 5-0 victory over Japan in the semi-finals further defined India’s prowess in the sport as the match was completely a one-sided affair.
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