NEW DELHI: The Indian women's hockey team is gearing up to commence its campaign at the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy with an opening match against Thailand on October 27.
The tournament schedule was unveiled by Hockey India on Tuesday, with the competition set to begin with a match between Malaysia and Japan. Hosts India will step onto the field on the opening day to face Thailand at the Marang Gomke Jaipal Singh Astro Turf hockey stadium.
The Asian Champions Trophy will witness fierce competition between six teams, including Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, China, and India, all vying for the coveted trophy. The tournament will culminate on November 5.
India enter the tournament in good form, buoyed by their historic bronze medal win at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games and a title victory at the FIH Hockey Women's Nations Cup in Spain last year. The hosts have previously claimed the Asian Champions Trophy in 2016 and finished as runners-up in 2018. Their group-stage matches include a showdown against Korea on November 2.
Dilip Tirkey, President of Hockey India, expressed pride in hosting another significant Asian tournament, anticipating a thrilling display of women's hockey prowess. He stated, "The announcement of the schedule signals the start of the final stages before the tournament, and we cannot wait for this extravaganza to begin."
All participating teams will compete in a single pool, with the top four teams advancing to the semifinals. The team topping the table will face the fourth-placed team, while the second and third-placed teams will battle it out to determine the finalists.
Defending champions Japan will encounter strong competition from Korea, the most decorated team in the tournament's history, having clinched victory in three of the six previous editions.
With PTI inputs)
