India End Eight-Year Drought Lift Asia Cup 2025

By Abhishek Kumar

The Indian men’s hockey team ended an eight-year wait for continental glory by lifting the Asia Cup 2025 title with a resounding 4–1 win over South Korea in the final at the Bihar Sports University Stadium.

India made a dream start as Sukhjeet Singh scored in just 30 seconds setting the tone for the contest Dilpreet Singh then struck twice in the 28th and 45th minutes while Amit Rohidas added the fourth goal in the 50th minute to seal a memorable victory The triumph marked India’s fourth Asia Cup crown after successes in 2003 – 2007 and 2017 and also confirmed a direct spot in the 2026 FIH Men’s World Cup An emotional Harmanpreet Singh dedicated the win to people battling the recent floods saluting the NDRF Army and rescue volunteers for their efforts Veteran midfielder Manpreet Singh also paid tribute to flood victims in Punjab saying the victory belonged to them.

Hockey India announced cash rewards of ₹3 lakh for each player and ₹1.5 lakh for the support staff Head coach Craig Fulton praised the team’s resilience while Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the squad calling the victory a proud moment for the nation.

With Asia’s crown secured the team has now set its sights on the 2026 World Cup aiming to end a wait of more than five decades for hockey’s biggest prize.