Chennai: The Asian Champions Trophy men's hockey tournament is set to kick off in Chennai on Thursday. For three-time champions India, it presents an opportunity to give the final touches to their Asian Games preparation.
As the highest-ranked team in the tournament at world number four, India will face China in their opening match at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium. This tournament marks a significant event for Chennai as it hosts a major hockey event for the first time since 2007. It is also the first time India is hosting the Asian Champions Trophy since its inception in 2011.
The primary objective for India in this tournament is to test their players and gain insights into their Asian rivals ahead of the Asian Games, scheduled to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8. The Asian Games offer a direct ticket to next year's Paris Olympics, making it a crucial event for teams to assess their resources and keep players fresh and injury-free.
While the scheduling of the Asian Champions Trophy just five weeks before the Hangzhou Games has faced criticism from visiting teams, India's head coach, Craig Fulton, sees the importance of participating in this event. Fulton said, "It's something that you have to do. But we need the games. So, it's important that we play it. It's even better that it's in India."
India's captain, Harmanpreet Singh, has already emphasised that the team will approach this tournament smartly and not go all-out, as their priority lies in the Asian Games.
India's recent performance in the FIH World Cup earlier this year was disappointing, finishing ninth. However, since then, the team has played 16 games, winning nine, losing five, and drawing two. The team's focus will be on improving their penalty corner conversion rate, despite having world-class penalty corner specialists in Harmanpreet, Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas, and Jugraj Singh.
On the opening day of the Asian Champions Trophy, India will face China, while defending champions South Korea will take on Japan, and Pakistan will play against Malaysia.
India's record in the tournament has been a mixed bag, with victories in 2011, 2016, and 2018 (jointly with Pakistan due to a washed-out final), and a silver in 2012 and bronze in 2021. China will be playing its first competitive tournament this year, having missed the World Cup.