India to Face Fierce Japan in High-Stakes Asia Cup Hockey Showdown
India, ranked seventh globally, aims to deliver their best performance against Japan in the Asia Cup hockey tournament. Despite winning their opener against China, India's gameplay fell short. Facing Japan's fast-paced attack, India must solidify defense and improve penalty corner conversion to secure a win.
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- India
India, ranked seventh in the world, prepares to deliver a top-tier performance against Japan in the men's Asia Cup hockey tournament on Sunday. India hopes to recover from a less-than-stellar 4-3 victory over China, ranked 23rd globally, in their opening match.
Ranked highest in the tournament, India is the clear favorite but needs to fortify its defense against Japan's rapid offense, particularly after Japan's commanding 7-0 win over Kazakhstan in their opener. Penalty corner defense and conversion remain areas of concern for India, with Chief Coach Craig Fulton urging the team to tighten their gameplay.
Led by captain Harmanpreet Singh, India must improve their field-play precision, as the forwards struggled to convert chances against China. Sunday's match promises a formidable challenge, with Japan eager to upset the tournament's favorites. The game kicks off at 3:00 PM.
(With inputs from agencies.)
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- Fulton
- Harmanpreet Singh
- defense
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