# Harmanpreet leads India to record sixth Asian Champions Trophy title _India beat Japan 4-1 in the final at Mohali to win a third straight title._ - Publisher: Apex Sports News (https://apexsportsnews.in) - Canonical URL: https://apexsportsnews.in/news/harmanpreet-leads-india-to-record-sixth-asian-champions-trophy-title - Author: Sapna Pandey, Sports writer (https://apexsportsnews.in/author/sapna-pandey) - Published: 2026-11-06T09:28:09.649Z - Section: Hockey - Topics: Harmanpreet Singh, Asian Champions Trophy, India men's hockey, Japan ## Summary India defeated Japan 4-1 in the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 final in Mohali on Thursday, claiming a record sixth title and a hat-trick of consecutive wins. Captain Harmanpreet Singh said his side stuck to its plan for all 60 minutes. ## Key takeaways - India beat Japan 4-1 in the Asian Champions Trophy final at Mohali. - The win gave India a record sixth title and a third consecutive triumph. - India finished unbeaten with seven wins from seven matches. - Shilanand Lakra, Dilpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad scored for India. - Kazumasa Matsumoto gave Japan a third-minute lead. ## Article India men’s hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh praised his team’s composure after the hosts defeated Japan 4-1 in the final of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on Thursday. The victory gave India a record sixth title and completed a hat-trick of consecutive triumphs after wins in 2023 and 2024. The defending champions finished the campaign unbeaten with seven wins from seven matches. Japan took an early lead when Kazumasa Matsumoto scored with a backhand in the third minute and held a 1-0 advantage until half-time. India levelled in the 42nd minute through Shilanand Lakra, who converted a penalty corner variation involving Harmanpreet. Dilpreet Singh put India ahead in the 47th minute, Jugraj Singh extended the lead with a powerful drag-flick in the 52nd minute, and Vivek Sagar Prasad added a fourth goal a minute later to seal the win. Harmanpreet said the team’s target and focus remained the same throughout the 60-minute contest: to stay focused regardless of the score and stick to the plan they were given. He credited the players for maintaining their composure, particularly in the final quarter, and said the outcome came down to how patiently they reacted to situations and how calm they remained. India forward Mandeep Singh said it felt great to win back-to-back gold medals and thanked the spectators for their support, noting that it was the first time such a large crowd had gathered in Punjab to watch a match. Former India women’s hockey captain Rani Rampal attended the final and the medal distribution ceremony. She said playing on home ground was special, especially in Punjab, which has contributed many players to hockey, particularly to the men’s game. She added that it was wonderful an international tournament was being held in Punjab for the first time and that she was glad to witness it. She appreciated the presence of young spectators and players’ families in the stands and acknowledged Japan’s strong performance in the opening half. Rani said India improved after shifting to its traditional attacking style towards the end of the third quarter, which helped the hosts take control of the match. ## Why it matters India is the most successful team in Men’s Asian Champions Trophy history, having won the trophy six times, while Pakistan is the next most frequent champion with three titles. The competition has been held annually by the Asian Hockey Federation since 2011 and features Asia’s six top field hockey teams in a round-robin format. The 2026 edition was the ninth tournament and took place from 27 October to 5 November 2026 across two cities in Punjab. India’s win extends its record tally and marks the first time an international hockey tournament has been held in Punjab, according to Rani Rampal. ## What happens next India will defend its record tally at the next edition of the Asian Champions Trophy, organised annually by the Asian Hockey Federation. The sources do not give the date, venue or start time of the next match or tournament. ### Related on Apex Sports News - [India beat Malaysia 4-2 in Asian Champions Trophy as Harmanpreet scores hat-trick](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/india-beat-malaysia-4-2-in-asian-champions-trophy-as-harmanpreet-scores-hat) - [India hockey: Mohali to host Asian Champions Trophy knockout stage](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/india-hockey-mohali-to-host-asian-champions-trophy-knockout-stage) - [India eye seventh Asian Champions Trophy final as Mohali hosts debut](https://apexsportsnews.in/news/india-eye-seventh-asian-champions-trophy-final-as-mohali-hosts-debut) ### Sources - [ddnews.gov.in](https://ddnews.gov.in/en/we-stuck-to-our-plan-for-60-minutes-harmanpreet-after-india-clinch-record-sixth-asian-champions-trophy-title/) - [english.publictv.in](https://english.publictv.in/we-stuck-to-our-plan-for-60-minutes-hockey-captain-harmanpreet-after-india-clinch-record-sixth-asian-champions-trophy-title/) - [Photo: fh.mum1 from Louisville, KY, USA, CC BY 2.0 (Wikimedia Commons)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ferrum_vs._Centre_field_hockey_DSC_0009_(15497696481).jpg) --- Source: Apex Sports News, https://apexsportsnews.in/news/harmanpreet-leads-india-to-record-sixth-asian-champions-trophy-title. 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