Rajgir (Bihar), Sep 4 (IANS) India forward Mandeep Singh stressed on the need to remain “mentally strong” and make the most of scoring opportunities after the men’s hockey team played out a 2-2 draw against Korea in their opening Super 4s clash in the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir, Bihar.

“We have to make the most of our chances, and it is important to stay mentally strong,” Mandeep said after the match in which India were trailing 1-2 for a major portion of the match before Mandeep rescued them with a late strike.

“Against Korea, we made some mistakes early on, which put us behind, but our structure and game tempo were good. We got a lot of opportunities, but we couldn’t apply the final touch. This is a big lesson for us. Every team in the Super 4 is strong, and we will need to be mentally tougher. I have full faith in my team that in the upcoming matches we will definitely be able to convert these chances into goals.”

India had begun brightly in rain-hit conditions, taking the lead through Hardik Singh (8’) before Korea struck back with two quick goals from Jihun Yang (12’, penalty stroke) and Hyeonhong Kim (14’, penalty corner). The hosts dominated possession and created numerous circle entries but struggled with finishing until Mandeep levelled the score in the 53rd minute, tapping in after a fine pass from Sukhjeet Singh.

While India showed character to fight back, experienced midfielder Manpreet Singh admitted frustration at not securing full points. “We are disappointed with the result; we should have won this match,” he said. “After taking a one-goal lead, we conceded easy goals — one from a penalty stroke and another from a penalty corner. In the second half, we played very well and made a comeback, but we failed to capitalize on the chances we got. Otherwise, we could have won this match easily. We entered the circle many times, but the final shot didn’t hit the target. In the upcoming matches, we have to make sure that whenever we get an opportunity, we convert it into a goal.”

India will next take on Malaysia in their second Super 4s Pool stage match on Thursday.

–IANS

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