Olympic hockey bronze medallist India will start its new cycle with a bunch of youngsters aiming to prove their mettle when it begins its Asian Champions Trophy campaign against Korea on Tuesday.
India has won the event thrice since its inception in 2011, including the previous two editions in 2016 (Malaysia) and 2018 (Oman).
India plays Korea on Dec. 14, followed by Bangladesh on the next day, Pakistan on Dec. 17 and Asian Games champion Japan on Dec. 19. The semifinals and final will be held on Dec. 21 and 22.
“Korea is a good team and are very capable of slowing down our attack.
“In the Asia Cup in 2017, we drew (1-1) against them in the league stage at this same venue,” captain Manpreet Singh said.
Speaking about the importance of the tournament, Manpreet said, “It is our first tournament after the Tokyo Olympics. The new cycle has started for us. If we start well, then our confidence levels will go high,” he said.
Several youngsters have been given a chance in the squad.
“Some of these youngsters have been waiting for a chance over the past two years as the focus had been on the core team for the Olympics,” Manpreet said.
