“For us, all teams are equal” - Hardik Singh claims India did not take lower-ranked China lightly at Asian Champions Trophy 2023

The 2023 Asian Champions Trophy was off to a stellar start for India, as the men in blue claimed a dominant victory over China. The Indian team won the match 7-2, with some beautifully executed goals throughout the game.

Speaking to the media on the resounding victory, mid-fielder Hardik Singh looked content with India's performance, citing the cheerful environment of the venue as a plus for the team.

When asked about the team's strategy regarding penalty corners (which brought in four of India's seven goals) Singh said:

"Given that short corners are a strong point for the team, since we have 3 to 4 experts, going into the game we knew we had to capitalize on that. But we are also happy with the field goals we scored in the game"

Singh also spoke to the media about the experience of playing on the new turf at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium in Chennai.

"The turf is quite nice, the set-up of the stadium has also been carried out well by the government, and since India is hosting the Asian Champions Trophy for the first time, the teams are enjoying the cheerful environment," he added.

When asked if the Indian team's tactics would change when playing against Japan, which is a higher-ranked team compared to China, Singh claimed that changes to the strategies would be minimal, if any.

"For us, all teams are equal. Our main strategy going into the match is that we get a strong start. Alongside that, our focus will also be on converting a minimum of 2 to 3 penalty corners in a quarter," Singh said.

When asked about the challenges that come while facing a team like Japan, Singh cited the opponent's strong defense. He added that India would continue to take advantage of short corners and stick to their natural game.

"They generally play half-court, so they are good at man-to-man marking. Also, they have a good defense inside the box. Meanwhile, the short corner happens to be our strength. So, we will intend on utilizing it to the fullest, besides playing our normal game," Singh said.

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India to face Japan at Asian Champions Trophy 2023

India's next game in the Asian Champions Trophy will be against Japan. Japan conceded their first match of the tournament to South Korea, with a score of 1-2.

Past records of India vs Japan lean overwhelmingly in India's favor. While the two teams have played each other 92 times, India has won a whopping 82 of these encounters. Their most recent clash took place in the World Cup, where India decimated Japan 8 to nothing in January 2023.

Indian fans will be looking for a replay of that match and will wait with bated breath for India's second game in the Asian Champions Trophy.