Bengaluru

The Indian Men’s Hockey Team departed for Hulunbuir, China, on Tuesday to participate in the 2024 Men’s Asian Champions Trophy. Fresh off their bronze medal win at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the team aims to defend their title against strong competition from Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, and China.

India’s campaign kicks off against hosts China on September 8, followed by a match against Japan on September 9. After a day’s rest, they will face Malaysia on September 11 and Korea on September 12. The final Pool stage match will be against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. The top four teams will advance to the semifinals on September 16, with the winners playing in the final on September 17, according to source.

Team captain Harmanpreet Singh expressed confidence before departure, saying, After a brief break post-Paris, we are ready to compete against Asia’s top hockey nations. Our goal is to play high-energy hockey and retain our title.

Vice-captain Vivek Sagar Prasad added that it is an honor to be named vice-captain at such a young age, but leadership is a shared responsibility. We have some talented new players eager to make their mark, and we’ll support them as we aim for a successful title defense.

Indian Men’s Hockey Team:

Goalkeepers: Krishan Bahadur Pathak, Suraj Karkera 

Defenders: Jarmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Harmanpreet Singh (C), Jugraj Singh, Sanjay, Sumit 

Midfielders: Raj Kumar Pal, Nilakanta Sharma, Vivek Sagar Prasad (VC), Manpreet Singh, Mohd. Raheel Mouseen 

Forwards: Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Araijeet Singh Hundal, Uttam Singh, Gurjot Singh.