Asian Champions Trophy: Full list of title winners

Published at :August 14, 2023 at 6:40 AM

Modified at :January 13, 2024 at 5:44 PM

(Courtesy : Hockey India)

With four titles to their name, India are the most successful nation in the tournament history.

In an exhilarating final encounter, the Indian men’s hockey team emerged victorious over Malaysia in the Asian Champions Trophy 2023. Despite trailing by a score of 3-1 after the second quarter, the resilient Indian team displayed exceptional fortitude as they orchestrated a remarkable comeback to lift their fourth Asian Champions Trophy title.

Goals from Harmanpreet Singh and Gurjant Singh in the third quarter, followed by a crucial strike from Akashdeep Singh in the fourth quarter, propelled India to championship win after a gap of five years.

With this outstanding triumph, India have now become the most successful team in the illustrious history of the Asian Champions Trophy, surpassing Pakistan, who has three titles to their name.

In this article we will have a look at the full list of Asian Champions Trophy winners over the years.

2011 – India

The Men’s Asian Champion Trophy was first held in 2011 in Ordos, China. The tournament featured the participation of the top six teams from the 2010 Asian Games, namely India, South Korea, Pakistan, China, Malaysia, and Japan. The format of the competition included a round-robin league among all teams, followed by playoffs to determine the final positions.

In the preliminary round, Pakistan maintained its leading position on the table, accumulating 10 points from three victories and a draw. India followed closely behind with nine points.

Ultimately, the final outcome was determined through a penalty shootout, in which India demonstrated superior prowess by scoring four goals compared to Pakistan’s two. As a result, India emerged as the champion of the inaugural edition.

2012 – Pakistan

The second edition of the tournament was held in 2012 in Doha, Qatar from 20th to 27th of December. Top six teams of Asia i.e., India, Oman, Pakistan, China, Malaysia and Japan participated in the tournament. Each team competed in a round-robin league followed by playoffs to hold the final positions.

India, as the defending champion, entered the tournament as the frontrunners. However, they were outperformed by Pakistan in the final, with a score of five goals to four. Consequently, Pakistan emerged as the victors of the tournament, while India settled for the runners-up position followed by Malaysia in third.

2013 – Pakistan

The third edition of the tournament was held in 2013 in Kakamigara, Japan from 2nd to 10th of November. The same six teams from the previous edition participated in this one.

Japan exhibited a formidable performance throughout the tournament, notably securing a remarkable victory over India with a final score of 2-1. Regrettably, their journey concluded in the final where Pakistan proved to be an insurmountable adversary, triumphing with a score of 3-1 and securing their second championship title.

2016 – India

The fourth edition was held after a gap of almost three years in 2016. It was played in Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia from 20th to 30th of October. Six teams – China, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan and South Korea participated in the tournament.

India remained on top of the points table after the round-robin fixtures with 13 points from five matches, followed by Malaysia and Pakistan at second and third place respectively.

The championship match took place between India and Pakistan. In a thrilling contest, India emerged victorious with a 3-2 scoreline, reclaiming the title after a gap of five years.

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2018 – India and Pakistan

In 2018, the tournament moved to Muscat, Oman. Including the host nation, India, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Korea and Japan participated in the tournament.

India secured the top position in the round-robin fixtures with an impeccable record of four wins and no losses. The Semi-finals witnessed intense battles between India and Japan, as well as Pakistan and Malaysia. Ultimately, India and Pakistan emerged victorious, earning their spots in the highly anticipated final showdown.

But the final was washed out due to heavy rain, after which India and Pakistan were declared the joint winners of the tournament.

2021 – South Korea

The sixth edition of the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy was originally planned to take place from 17th to 27th November 2020. However, due to the unprecedented impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent rescheduling, it was ultimately held from 14th to 22nd December 2021 at Maulana Bhasani Hockey Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Hosts Bangladesh, India, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan and South Korea were about to take part in the tournament. But Malaysia, withdrew from it, citing restrictive Covid-19 quarantine. Finally, it was conducted with five teams.

India, despite leading the standings in the preliminary round, unfortunately succumbed to a superior Japanese side in the semi-final. The highly anticipated final witnessed a gripping battle between Japan and South Korea, where South Korea emerged as the new Champions of the tournament after a nail-biting penalty shootout.

India, showcasing their tenacity, secured the respectable 3rd position by triumphing over Pakistan with a score of 4-3 goals.

2023 – India

The recently concluded seventh edition of the tournament was held in the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium, Chennai, India from 3rd–12th August 2023.

India, who entered the tournament banking on some their best performances in the recent past, remained at the top of the table after the end of round-robin fixtures.

The semi-finals were played between Malaysia–South Korea and India –Japan. After winning their respective matches, India and Malaysia faced each other in the final, where India defeated Malaysia in a thrilling encounter with 4-3 goals and became the first team to hold the title four times.

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