Rajgir: The wait is over as the 10-day Asia Cup is all set to begin on Friday here on
the National Sports Day, marking the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
Three-time champions India will look to put behind their dismal recent form and secure a World Cup berth, as the winners of the tournament book ticket to the showpiece tournament. They start with a tricky opening game against lower-ranked China on Friday.
India and China are placed in Pool A with Japan and Kazakhstan. Pool B consists of title-holders and five-time champions South Korea, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei.
Kazakhstan, set to play their first Asia Cup in over three decades, and Bangladesh replaced Pakistan and Oman, both of whom withdrew from the event.
Pakistan opted out citing security reasons in the backdrop of India’s Operation Sindoor following the Pahalgam terror attack in April.
Top two teams from each pool will qualify for the semifinals, with the final scheduled on September 7.
The tournament is India’s best and last chance to qualify for next year’s World Cup to be jointly hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30.
India stumbled in their first attempt to secure a spot, dropping to seventh in the world after a dismal European leg of the FIH Pro League.
India secured just one win from eight matches and recorded a record seven-game losing streak -- the longest in the team’s history, forcing chief coach Craig Fulton to go back to the drawing board and field a full strength side for the Asia Cup.
“It is for the first time that Men’s Asia Hockey Cup is being held in Bihar’s Rajgir. This is the 12th edition of Asia Cup in which eight teams are participating,” Bihar State Sports Authority director general-cum-CEO Raveendran Sankaran said.