The Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 delivered an exciting day of knockout-stage action in Mohali on 4 November, as hosts India and Japan secured their places in the championship final following contrasting semi-final victories.
India continued their unbeaten campaign with an emphatic 8–1 victory over Korea, while Japan overcame Malaysia 5–3 in a dramatic shoot-out after the two teams finished regulation time locked at 0–0.
Earlier, China secured fifth place with a 3–1 victory over Bangladesh.
The results set up a highly anticipated India–Japan final on Thursday, 5 November, with Malaysia and Korea contesting the third-place playoff.
Japan Edge Malaysia in Dramatic Shoot-Out to Reach Final
Japan booked their place in the final following a tense semi-final encounter against Malaysia.
Both teams demonstrated defensive discipline throughout regulation time, with neither side able to break the deadlock as the contest ended 0–0.
With a place in the championship final at stake, the match was decided through a shoot-out.
Japan held their nerve to secure a 5–3 shoot-out victory and advance to the final, while Malaysia will compete against Korea for the bronze medal.
Japan's triumph sets up another meeting with India, following their 4–1 defeat against the hosts earlier in the round-robin stage.
India Overwhelm Korea 8–1 to Continue Unbeaten Campaign
Hosts India maintained their impressive form with a commanding 8–1 victory over Korea, securing their place in the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 final.
Having completed the round-robin stage with five consecutive victories, India carried their momentum into the semi-finals with another clinical attacking display.
The hosts registered eight goals to extend their tournament tally to 42 goals from six matches.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh continued his excellent tournament form, taking his individual goalscoring tally to 10 goalsand maintaining his position at the top of the scoring charts.
The result marked India's sixth consecutive victory and confirmed their place in the championship final against Japan.
China Secure Fifth Place with 3–1 Victory Over Bangladesh
China concluded their Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 campaign with a 3–1 victory over Bangladesh in the fifth-place playoff.
Having finished fifth in the round-robin standings, China delivered a strong performance to secure victory in their final match of the competition.
The result confirmed China in fifth position, while Bangladesh finished sixth.
Semi-Final Day Highlights
3 matches played
13 goals scored in regulation time
India defeat Korea 8–1 to reach the final
Japan overcome Malaysia 5–3 in a shoot-out following a 0–0 draw
China secure fifth place with a 3–1 victory over Bangladesh
Harmanpreet Singh leads the individual goalscoring charts with 10 goals
India and Japan qualify for the championship final
Final Day Fixtures – Thursday, 5 November 2026
Venue: Mohali, Punjab
Third-Place Playoff: Korea vs Malaysia
Championship Final: India vs Japan
The championship final promises an exciting encounter as unbeaten hosts India take on Japan for the prestigious continental title.
India enter the final with six consecutive victories, while Japan will look to build on their dramatic semi-final triumph and challenge the hosts.
Meanwhile, Korea and Malaysia will compete for the bronze medal as the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Punjab 2026 reaches its conclusion.
Follow the latest tournament news, results and match highlights through the Asian Hockey Federation and its official YouTube channel.
