Hockey
India rises to 3rd spot in FIH rankings after winning Asian Champions Trophy
India trails first-placed Netherlands and Belgium. England went down to fourth place.
FILE PHOTO: Indian men's hockey team defeated Japan in the semifinals of the Asian Champions Trophy 2023.
Indian men's hockey team rose to third position in the latest FIH rankings on Sunday on the back of its Asian Champions Trophy winning performance in Chennai.
India, on Saturday, defeated Malaysia 4-3 in the final of the continental championship, coming from 1-3 behind.
The Indian team, led by Harmanpreet Singh and coached by Craig Fulton, delivered a superlative show in the event, winning all of its matches. On the back of this performance, India replaced England in the third spot.
India now has 2771.35 points and is trailing behind the Netherlands and Belgium. Belgium has 2917. 87 points, while the Netherlands topped the table with 3095.90 points. England, the fourth-place holder, has 2763.50 points.
Before the Asian Champions Trophy, India played in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation International Tournament, where it finished third after beating the Netherlands 2-1 in the third/fourth place playoff.
The remaining six spots in the top ten of the FIH rankings are held by Germany, Australia, Spain, Argentina, Malaysia, and New Zealand. South Korea is ranked 12th, and Pakistan has remained 16th on the ranking chart. Malaysia, the runner-up of the champions trophy, is ranked ninth.
