The Indian men’s hockey team departed for Hulunbuir, China, early Tuesday to compete in the Asian Champions Trophy. Fresh from their Paris 2024 Olympics bronze medal win, the team aims to defend their title in a tournament featuring Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, and China.
India will kick off their campaign against hosts China on September 8, followed by a match against Japan on September 9. After a short break, they will face Malaysia on September 11 and Korea on September 12. The highly anticipated clash against archrivals Pakistan will take place on September 14 in the final pool stage match.
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The top four teams from the pool will advance to the semifinals on September 16, with the winners battling it out in the final on September 17.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh expressed the team’s readiness, saying, “After a brief break post-Paris Olympics, we are prepared to take on Asia’s best and prove our mettle. Our goal is to play high-octane hockey and retain our title.”
Vice-Captain Vivek Sagar Prasad shared his excitement, stating, “It’s a great honor to be named vice-captain at a young age, but leadership is shared across the team. We have new players with immense potential, and we’ll work together to create a supportive environment as we aim for title defense.”
The team’s departure marks the beginning of their journey to maintain their dominance in Asian hockey.