<p>India will be the favorite versus four-time champion Korea in the first semifinal of the men’s hockey competition at the Asian Games in Hangzhou on Wednesday because to their 58 goals scored in five league games.<img decoding=”async” class=”alignnone wp-image-216399″ src=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-indian-mens-hockey-team-will-take-against-four-time-korea-is-the-asian-games-champ-750×500.jpg” alt=”theindiaprint.com indian mens hockey team will take against four time korea is the asian games champ” width=”1394″ height=”929″ srcset=”https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-indian-mens-hockey-team-will-take-against-four-time-korea-is-the-asian-games-champ-750×500.jpg 750w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-indian-mens-hockey-team-will-take-against-four-time-korea-is-the-asian-games-champ-1024×683.jpg 1024w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-indian-mens-hockey-team-will-take-against-four-time-korea-is-the-asian-games-champ-768×512.jpg 768w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-indian-mens-hockey-team-will-take-against-four-time-korea-is-the-asian-games-champ-150×100.jpg 150w, https://www.theindiaprint.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/theindiaprint.com-indian-mens-hockey-team-will-take-against-four-time-korea-is-the-asian-games-champ.jpg 1200w” sizes=”(max-width: 1394px) 100vw, 1394px” title=”Indian men's hockey team will take against four-time Korea is the Asian Games champion 12″></p>
<p>Harmanpreet Singh, the team’s captain, said that they do not take any opponent lightly and that they would approach their match with Korea with an optimistic outlook.</p>
<p>We had a fantastic start to the competition and won all of our Pool stage games, which gave us a lot of confidence moving into the league’s knockout rounds. We will approach the first semi-final with a bright outlook, but we are also careful to avoid taking any competition lightly. We are well-prepared to adjust our strategies against our opponents as necessary, Harmanpreet added.</p>
<p>Korea last won the Asian Games trophy in 2006 in Doha, while India last won it in Incheon, Korea, in 2014. India has thus far defeated Uzbekistan 16-0, Singapore 16-1, Japan 4-2; Pakistan 10-2; Bangladesh 12-0; Uzbekistan 16-0; Japan; Singapore 16-1; Pakistan; and Uzbekistan.</p>
<p>However, although Korea overcame Thailand and Indonesia by similar scores of 10-0, the World No. 12 China lost shockingly by a score of 2-3 in the Pool Stage. Korea recovered to defeat Malaysia 4-3 and Oman 16-2 to go to the Semi-Finals.</p>
<p>Making wise judgments both on and off the field is crucial in a lengthy tournament. We are aware of Korea’s defensive prowess and strengths. They have performed really well in the competition so far and are a powerful unit. Given their previous performance at the Asian Games, we are aware that we must put in our best effort to prevent them from catching us off guard on the pitch, Harmanpreet said.</p>
<p>Since 2013, India and Pakistan have faced off 17 times, with 8 victories for India and 6 draws. Between the two teams, Korea has prevailed in three games.</p>
<p>“Korea has always been a challenging opponent for us. However, having recently played them has given us a preview of what to anticipate in the match, according to Indian Men’s Hockey Team Chief Coach Craig Fulton.</p>
<p>We are aware of Korea’s formidable defense and how deadly their counterattacks may be. As a result, anytime we lose control, we must be prepared to defend in large numbers.</p>
<p>The fitness levels of our players will be put to the test against Korea, particularly given the hot weather circumstances, since modern hockey forces players to run the whole length of the field. To put ourselves in a good position and prevent the opponent from settling down, it will also be essential to score early goals, he said.</p>
<p>How closely the two countries have competed is seen by India’s recent encounters with Korea. India had to work hard to defeat the opponents 3-2 in the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023 in August of this year.</p>
<p>India and Korea tied 4-4 in the Hero Asia Cup 2022 last year, and 2-2 at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka the year before that.</p>
<p> </p>
Indian men’s hockey team will take against four-time Korea is the Asian Games champion
