India jump to No 3 place in FIH rankings after ACT triumph

India (2771.35 points) jumped one place to third and went past England (2763.50 points) behind top-ranked Netherlands (3095.90 points) and Belgium (2917.87 points)

India team poses for a photograph with the trophy after wining the final men's Asian Champions Trophy hockey match against Malaysia in Chennai, India, Saturday, Aug. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/R. Parthibhan)

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Giving them a big boost ahead of the Asian Games, India on Sunday rose to third in FIH rankings following their Asian Champions Trophy triumph.

India (2771.35 points) jumped one place to third and went past England (2763.50 points) behind top-ranked Netherlands (3095.90 points) and Belgium (2917.87 points).

This was the second time India rose to No 3 in FIH rankings. India had achieved a similar ranking in 2021 after securing a bronze in the Tokyo Olympics, which was their first medal at the Games in 41 years.

On Saturday, the Harmanpreet Singh-led side defeated Malaysia 4-3 to lift the ACT title. They made an incredible comeback from 1-3 down.

In the last edition of the event in 2021, India had finished third.

The Indian hockey team’s next assignment will be the Asian Games in Hangzhou from September 23.

The ACT runners-up Malaysia remained on ninth in the FIH rankings.