India’s men’s hockey team produced a scintillating performance on Saturday, routing Canada 14-3 in their final round-robin fixture of the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2025 in Ipoh, Malaysia, to secure a place in the final.
Defender Jugraj Singh was the standout performer, netting four goals — three from penalty corners and one from a penalty stroke. Abhishek, Amit Rohidas, and Rajinder Singh contributed two goals each, while Selvam Karthi, Nilakanta Sharma, Sanjay, and Dilpreet Singh added one apiece.
The victory guarantees India a top-two finish on the points table, regardless of other results later in the day. Under coach Craig Fulton, India is likely to face Belgium in the final — the same team that handed them their only round-robin defeat.
Belgium, currently on 10 points, faces New Zealand, which has seven, later on Saturday. New Zealand still has an outside chance of making the final but would need a win by a margin of at least six goals.
Discussion about this post