Hockey Asia Cup: Mandeep Singh urges India to stay ‘mentally strong’ after 2-2 draw with Korea
India’s men’s hockey team started their Super 4s at the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir, Bihar, with a promising 2-2 draw against Korea. Despite being behind for most of the match, Indian forward Mandeep Singh emphasized the importance of staying “mentally strong” and making the most of scoring chances.
After the game, Mandeep said, “We need to take our chances and stay focused. It’s a lesson for us to improve. We made some mistakes early on, but our team kept fighting, and I’m confident we’ll do better in the next games.”
The match saw India start well, with Hardik Singh scoring in the 8th minute to give the hosts an early lead. However, Korea quickly responded with two goals — one from Jihun Yang on a penalty stroke in the 12th minute and another by Hyeonhong Kim from a penalty corner in the 14th minute. Despite intense pressure and many chances, India couldn’t find the net until Mandeep scored in the 53rd minute, leveling the game with a tidy finish after a good pass from Sukhjeet Singh.
Experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh expressed some frustration with the result but praised the team’s effort. “We are disappointed because we could have won. After taking the lead, we let in easy goals — a penalty stroke and a penalty corner. But in the second half, we played well and created chances. The key now is to convert these opportunities into goals in future matches,” he said.
India will face Malaysia in their next Super 4s game on Thursday. The players are eager to improve and aim for a win to strengthen their position in the tournament.
Stay tuned for more updates on India’s journey in the Men’s Asia Cup!
