Dhaka: Reigning champions of the Asian Champions Trophy men’s hockey, India suffered a shock defeat in the semi-finals this time. Japan thrashed India in the semi-finals in Dhaka, Bangladesh yesterday. India lost 3-5. India defeated Japan by six goals in the preliminary round but failed to make it to the semifinals. At one point, India were trailing 1-5. Japan’s scorers were Yamada, Fujishima, Kirishita, Kawabe and Oka. For India, Hardik Singh scored two goals and Harman Preet Singh one. Japan scored two goals in the first two minutes. Japan’s opponents in the final are South Korea. India will now face Pakistan in the third-place match.
