This time, however, with the World Cup qualification at stake, India has brought their best squad to the campaign and will be looking to showcase their A game in Rajgir.
File Photo: IANS
Double Olympic medallists and current Asia No.1 Indian men’s hockey team arrived in Patna on Monday for the prestigious Asia Cup Rajgir, Bihar 2025. India had won the Bronze medal in the previous edition held in Jakarta where a young team with 15 debutants showed heart in their campaign by finishing on the podium.
This time, however, with the World Cup qualification at stake, India has brought their best squad to the campaign and will be looking to showcase their A game in Rajgir. India is grouped in Pool A along with Japan, China and Kazakhstan, and will open their campaign against China on August 29, before facing Japan on August 31, and Kazakhstan on September 1 in the Pool Stage.
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Upon arriving on Monday, fresh from high-intensity friendly matches against Australia in Perth, head coach Craig Fulton expressed his delight over playing in Bihar for the first time. “We are very happy to arrive in Bihar for this prestigious tournament. It is great that international hockey is being hosted here and we want to inspire the people of this region with our game, and create more fans for the sport,” Fulton stated.
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Speaking about the importance of this tournament, Fulton said, “The team’s preparations has been solid for this tournament. Our approach will be similar to that of Paris Olympics where we began with good wins in the pool stage. We want to start well here, take it game-by-game, build on our momentum and we are cognisant that it’s been eight years since India last won the title (in 2017, Dhaka). While we are confident of winning, we don’t want to take any team lightly.”
Captain Harmanpreet Singh reflected similar emotions, saying, “We have never played in Bihar and it’s exciting to see that Rajgir is already hosting it’s second international hockey tournament within a span of one year. This shows the government’s intent to support the game and we are looking forward to the love and support of hockey fans here throughout the tournament.”
Earlier in the day, defending champions Korea arrived Rajgir, aiming to retain their crown. Led by captain Jongsuk Bae, and currently ranked 13th in the FIH World Rankings, Korea has been drawn into Pool B alongside Malaysia, Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei. They will open their campaign against Chinese Taipei on August 29, followed by a crucial clash with Malaysia on August 30, before rounding off their Pool stage with a match against Bangladesh on September 1.
Speaking on the team’s chances of defending the title, Bae stated, “It is hard to say with certainty that we will defend the title, because every team here is strong and the competition will be tough. But what I can promise is that we will give our absolute best on the field, stay true to the way we have prepared, and play with full commitment and fighting spirit. Our goal is to turn all the hard work we have put in during training into strong performances, and hopefully, we will finish this tournament with a very positive outcome.”
He added, “Of course, the stakes are high because a World Cup berth is on the line, and with that comes a lot of pressure. But instead of letting it weigh us down, we are channeling that pressure in a positive way. It motivates us to push harder, stay focused, and give everything on turf.”
Notably, Korea remains the most successful nation in the history of the Men’s Asia Cup, having clinched the title a record five times, with their most recent triumph coming in 2022. In the previous edition held in Jakarta, they lifted the trophy after edging past Malaysia 2-1 in a thrilling final.
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