<
>

Goals aplenty as new-look India clinch second title

Hockey India

2

This is India's second Asia Cup title, the first having come in 2004 at the expense of Japan, whom they defeated 1-0 in the final in New Delhi. India have now become the fourth country to have won a second Asia Cup crown, joining China, Japan and South Korea, who lead the way with three wins. These four nations have won all nine Asia Cup crowns since the first edition in Seoul in 1985.

134

The total number of goals scored in 24 matches of the Asia Cup, with India and China combining for 55. India's Gurjit Kaur top-scored for India with eight goals, seven of them from penalty-corners and one from a penalty-stroke. Gurjit was not the top-scorer in the tournament overall, though, with China's Zhong Jiaqi scoring 11 and Park Seunga of South Korea registering 10 goals.

28

India scored 28 goals in six matches at the Asia Cup, with their goal average of close to five exceeded only by the Koreans, who finished with 33 goals. India also finished the tournament with the second-best defence, conceding only five goals through their six matches, with only third-placed South Korea leaking fewer (four).

24

The difference in goals scored by India between the Asia Cup and their last multi-nation tournament appearance, when they scored just four goals in a seventh-place finish at the World League Semi-final in Johannesburg in July.

Gurjit Kaur was India's top-scorer even in that tournament, the only player to score two goals then, and India had also been considerably more generous in defence, conceding 15 goals. While the depth of the field was much greater in that tournament, India's improved scoring record and better defending should give them hope as they head to the World Cup for the first time in eight years in London next summer.

3

This was India's third shootout in competitive matches in 2017, and they have won all three of them. India beat both Uruguay and Chile via penalties at the World League Round 2 in Canada in April, and now have beaten China in the final of the Asia Cup. This is also their first international title in exactly 365 days -- they had beaten China 2-1 to win the Asian Champions Trophy in Singapore on November 5, 2016.

1

This was the first tournament under new coach Harendra Singh for the Indian women's team. They were previously coached by Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne, who has since taken over with the men's side. For Harendra, this was as good a first tournament in charge as it could be, and is a second title for him as coach of an Indian team -- he coached the men's junior team to the World Cup win in Lucknow in December 2016.