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India hockey news: Sukhjeet Singh goal puts India ahead of China

Sukhjeet Singh opened the scoring as India led China 1-0 in an Asian Champions Trophy 2026 league match.

By , Sports writer

· 2 min read

Field hockey, general photo
Field hockey (general photo, not from this event) Photo: malte_berg / Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

India led China 1-0 after Sukhjeet Singh scored the opening goal in their second league match of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 at Jalandhar. Times of India reported the goal came from a scoop by Jugraj Singh.

Key takeaways

  • Sukhjeet Singh scored India’s opening goal against China
  • The match was played at Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar
  • India had beaten Bangladesh 13-0 in their opening league match
  • India are defending champions of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026

India lead China 2-1 at half-time in their second league-stage match of the Asian Champions Trophy 2026 at the Olympian Surjit Singh Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.

Sukhjeet Singh opened the scoring with a scoop from Jugraj Singh from the half line, using 3D skills to put the ball past advancing goalkeeper Wu Huanyu. Yang Peng equalised for China through a penalty corner at 25:55.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh restored India’s advantage at 26:30 by converting a penalty corner after missing his first two attempts, making it 2-1.

India’s campaign and squad context

India are the defending champions and began their campaign with a commanding 13-0 victory over Bangladesh. Mandeep Singh scored a hat-trick, while Harmanpreet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and Hardik Singh scored two goals each. Shilanand Lakra, Abhishek, Nilakanta Sharma and Jugraj Singh were also among the scorers.

India are targeting a third successive Asian Champions Trophy title and a sixth overall. The team is coached by Craig Fulton and led by Harmanpreet Singh.

Experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh was ruled out due to a calf injury, with Vivek Sagar Prasad replacing him in the squad.

Tournament format and history

The Asian Champions Trophy 2026 features six teams competing in a round-robin league, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals. China finished as runners-up in the previous edition after India defeated them 1-0 in the final, with Jugraj Singh scoring the winning goal to help India secure their fifth crown. India enter the competition after successfully defending their Asian Games gold medal.

What happens next

India will face Japan, Malaysia and South Korea after their match against China. Consistency is crucial throughout the group stage as India pursue another title on home soil. A second consecutive victory would strengthen their position in the standings and bring them closer to securing a semi-final place.

India’s opening match scorers against Bangladesh

Player

Goals

Mandeep Singh

3

Harmanpreet Singh

2

Dilpreet Singh

2

Hardik Singh

2

Shilanand Lakra

1

Abhishek

1

Nilakanta Sharma

1

Jugraj Singh

1

Sources

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