Rajkumar Pal’s Hat-Trick Leads India to 8-1 Victory Over Malaysia in Asian Champions Trophy
Moqi, China – Rajkumar Pal’s amazing hat-trick helped the Indian Men’s Hockey Team secure a big win against Malaysia with an 8-1 score in their third match of the Asian Champions Trophy in Moqi, China, on Wednesday.
Match Highlights
Besides Rajkumar Pal (3′, 25′, 33′), other Indian players who scored were Araijeet Singh Hundal (6′, 39′), Jugraj Singh (7′), Captain Harmanpreet Singh (22′), and Uttam Singh (40′). This victory marks India’s third consecutive win in the tournament, placing them at the top of the points table with nine points from three matches.
For Malaysia, Akhimullah Anuar (34′) scored the only goal.
First Half Dominance
India started the game aggressively, scoring three goals within the first seven minutes. Rajkumar Pal opened the scoring in the 3rd minute, followed by Araijeet Singh Hundal in the 6th minute, and Jugraj Singh in the 7th minute. Captain Harmanpreet Singh added another goal in the 22nd minute, and Rajkumar Pal scored again in the 25th minute, ending the first half with a 5-0 lead.
Second Half Action
In the third quarter, Rajkumar Pal completed his hat-trick in the 33rd minute. Malaysia managed to score their only goal in the 34th minute through Akhimullah Anuar. However, India continued their dominance with goals from Araijeet Singh Hundal in the 39th minute and Uttam Singh in the 40th minute, making the score 8-1 by the end of the third quarter.
The final quarter saw no further goals, and India maintained their lead to secure the win.
Player Reactions
Hero of the Match, Araijeet Singh Hundal, expressed his happiness over the win, saying, “We want to go all through in every game, we have to win every game, that is what we plan in team meetings. We are here to win. Personally, the last two games were not up to mark, but I am really happy that I scored today. I am getting my confidence back day by day, and I will do much better for India in the upcoming games.”
Upcoming Match
India will face Korea in their fourth match of the tournament on Thursday, 12th September 2024, at 1315 hrs IST.
Doubts Revealed
Rajkumar Pal -: Rajkumar Pal is a player in the Indian Men’s Hockey Team. He scored three goals in this match, which is called a hat-trick.
Hat-Trick -: A hat-trick in sports means scoring three goals by the same player in a single game.
Asian Champions Trophy -: The Asian Champions Trophy is a hockey tournament where the best teams from Asia compete against each other.
Moqi, China -: Moqi is a place in China where this hockey match was held.
Araijeet Singh Hundal -: Araijeet Singh Hundal is another player in the Indian Men’s Hockey Team who scored a goal in this match.
Jugraj Singh -: Jugraj Singh is also a player in the Indian Men’s Hockey Team who scored a goal in this match.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh -: Harmanpreet Singh is the captain of the Indian Men’s Hockey Team and he also scored a goal in this match.
Uttam Singh -: Uttam Singh is another player in the Indian Men’s Hockey Team who scored a goal in this match.
Points Table -: The points table shows the ranking of teams based on their performance in the tournament. India is at the top with nine points from three matches.
Akhimullah Anuar -: Akhimullah Anuar is a player in the Malaysian Men’s Hockey Team who scored their only goal in this match.
Korea -: Korea is another country whose team will play against India in the next match on 12th September 2024.
