Jugraj scored a brilliant field goal in the 51st minute against the tempo of the game which proved to be decisive in the match as the defenders and goalkeeper Krishna Bahadur Pathak saved India from defeat against a team that was making a rare appearance in the final.
With this, India won the Men's Asian Champions Trophy for the fifth time and is now the most successful nation in the competition since it was launched in 2011. Pakistan has won the title three times while South Korea captured its only crown in Dhaka in 2021. India won the title by defeating Malaysia 4-3 in the final in the last edition played in Chennai in 2023.
However, on Tuesday, things were not at all easy for the Paris Olympic Games bronze medalist as China drew strong home support from the crowd to put the eight-time Olympic gold medalists under tremendous pressure.
But Harmanpreet Singh's team withstood the pressure and secured victory by scoring a goal at the end of the fourth quarter.
The winner came in the sixth minute of the fourth quarter when Harmanpreet made a good run down the backline from a long corner and sent a minus-pass to Jugraj, who was left unmarked in the middle of the shooting circle. The defender remained patient and fired the ball past the Chinese goalkeeper to score a rare field goal.
China had 66-34 percent possession, but the Indians penetrated the circle more and earned more penalty corners as they kept the Chinese players at bay. The first three quarters of the match remained goalless as both teams made several attempts but could not score.
With this, India won the Men's Asian Champions Trophy for the fifth time and is now the most successful nation in the competition since it was launched in 2011. Pakistan has won the title three times while South Korea captured its only crown in Dhaka in 2021. India won the title by defeating Malaysia 4-3 in the final in the last edition played in Chennai in 2023.
However, on Tuesday, things were not at all easy for the Paris Olympic Games bronze medalist as China drew strong home support from the crowd to put the eight-time Olympic gold medalists under tremendous pressure.
But Harmanpreet Singh's team withstood the pressure and secured victory by scoring a goal at the end of the fourth quarter.
The winner came in the sixth minute of the fourth quarter when Harmanpreet made a good run down the backline from a long corner and sent a minus-pass to Jugraj, who was left unmarked in the middle of the shooting circle. The defender remained patient and fired the ball past the Chinese goalkeeper to score a rare field goal.
China had 66-34 percent possession, but the Indians penetrated the circle more and earned more penalty corners as they kept the Chinese players at bay. The first three quarters of the match remained goalless as both teams made several attempts but could not score.