Punjab Newsline | Mohali
After successfully hosting the league-stage matches in Jalandhar, Mohali is all set to host the knockout stage of the Asian Champions Trophy. The semi-finals and the fifth-place classification match will be played at the Olympian Balbir Singh Senior Hockey Stadium on Wednesday, November 4.
This will be the first time that an international hockey match is being played at the stadium. The tournament is also being hosted in Punjab for the first time, following the efforts of Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann.
At the end of the league stage in Jalandhar, India finished at the top of the points table, followed by Japan in second place, Malaysia in third, South Korea in fourth, China in fifth and Bangladesh in sixth.
According to the schedule, China and Bangladesh will face each other in the fifth-place classification match at 2 pm on November 4. The first semi-final will see Japan take on Malaysia at 4:30 pm, while hosts India will lock horns with South Korea in the second semi-final at 7 pm.
The two losing teams from the semi-finals will compete for the bronze medal, while the winners will advance to the title clash. The final will be played in Mohali on November 5.
India has an impressive record in the Asian Champions Trophy, having reached the final six times so far. The team has won the title five times, including once as joint winners, and finished runners-up on one occasion.
Japan has reached the final twice, while South Korea, Malaysia and China have made it to the title clash once each.
India will now aim to reach the final for the seventh time, while Japan will be looking to make its third appearance in the summit clash. South Korea, Malaysia and China will attempt to reach the final for the second time.
India has won the tournament five times, while South Korea has lifted the trophy once. Japan has finished as runners-up twice, while Malaysia has been runners-up once.
