K ARUMUGAM

Its business end of the Asian Games hockey. The best four teams have entered the semis. What went awry is the FIH ranking! Second seeded Malaysia has been unseated by China who ranked 12 rungs below them.

India has not faced serious challenge so far here, and now it comes in the form of the Koreans. The peninsular team has been a tormentor of established powers since the mid 1980s.

Some how the Koreans were not a force  since 2010s. Lack of funds seems to be the stumbling block. Neither do their women nor men could lay hands on anything big. But came the last Asia Cup.

At Jakarta Asia Cup, where India faced the ignominy at the hands of Japan in the semis, the Koreans went on to clinch the title. This marked their return to big ticket victory.

However, the present Korean team is not fresh legged. If it at all its on reverse. At least 10 of its team members are above 30 compared to India’s 4 (Sreejesh, Lalit, Manpreet, Amit).

Captain Lee Nam Yong is 40 years, the oldest member here in Hangzhou.

India may be younger, but vastly experienced. It has a collective cap of 2390, compared to 1925 of the Koreans.

However, the Koreans’ playing eleven, if one closely looks at it, is equally experienced as that of India as older players accumulate caps above 200 each.

The strength of Korea of course is its defence. Except China, which punctured them three goals in the last minute and made the Koreans to eat a humble pie, it has withstood.

Jang Jonghyun is a tall personality in the Asian circuit. The 39-year old defies age and is a byword for energy and enterprise. He is by all count a game changer. 

His prowess at penalty corner has been phenomenal. It will be better for India not to concede penalty corners as he has a reputation of scoring crucial goals.

The first rushers be it Manpreet Singh or Amit Rohidas, at time Sumit, will have a tough task today. Unless they can stop Jang Honghyun’s bullet from being fired, India will have a tough times.

India may have awesome threesome in penalty corners – Harmanpreet Singh, Varun Kumar and Amit Rohidas. Korea does not have many but Jang Jonghyun is no less. He is a game changer.

His defence skills too phenomenal. Combining with his captain Nam Lee Yong on the right, and with Lee Seung Hoon in the centre, the trio makes any forwardline stutter.

Now it will be interesting to see whether the Harmanpreet (Amit Rohidas), Varun Kumar and Sumit combination outperforms them!

The match will be defence vs defence, which set of players will be the hero today is a million dollar question.

Insofar as midifield is concerned, India and Korea have no difference, though it is worth mentioning here that Hardik/Vivek on their day can upset any other combination.

Korea’s weakness of course is strike power. They rely on Jang Jonghyun to  deliver through penalty corners.

On the other hand, India is well balanced in all departments. The duo Mandeep Singh-Abhishek have shed their tendency to blind-hit inside the circle, but are seen matured and measured in their moves inside the circle. Certainly science plays a role here than emotion or excitement of being inside the striking circle. Their selflessness in parting the balls to ideally positioned player is the feature of this team under Craig Fulton.

The duo hopefully delivers today.

For Korea, Manjae Jung is deceptive with awesome strike power inside the circle.

Korea enters the fray today knowing well they won both Asian Champions Trophy (2021) and Asia Cup and will smell their chance to resurrect their otherwise dwindling fortunes.

India is third ranked team in the world, 9 rungs below them — and need to prove it so.

Both have the maturity and tenacity to fight till the end. Korea has a history of  winning tough games while India on the hand has the habit of Semifinal Syndrome.

Being the only team that figures in the FIH’s Pro-League, India has everything going for it.

Will it consolidate all it showcased till now is what will be looked upon anxiously by everyone.