Hockey Asia Cup 2025: With World Cup spot up for grabs, India hopes to turn its poor form around
The last time the Indian men’s hockey team faced China, it won by a solitary goal. That Asian Champions Trophy final last year was played soon after the Paris Olympics and more than half of the Indian side comprised youngsters trying to impress the coach in a new cycle.
On Friday, it will be a very different Indian team starting its campaign in the Asia Cup, with an eye on the title and a World Cup spot at stake. The team and coach Craig Fulton have declared the Asia Cup a ‘flagship event’, one where anything less than victory will be a disaster.
Ranked seventh in the world, India is expectedly the favourite to win at home at the Rajgir Sports Complex. The next-highest ranked side is Malaysia, at 12th. India’s recent performances have been less than impressive and the Asia Cup will be a chance to prove that the Olympic bronze-medallist is still the best in the continent.
The Indians have been sweating it out in hot and humid conditions for a week, a far cry from the pleasant environs of Bengaluru where they had their preparatory camp, and the cold of Perth, where they played Australia in four matches, winning just one.
The weather apart, India will also have to deal with the uncertainties of teams that it doesn’t play regularly enough. Kazakhstan – the other team in India’s group along with Japan — was drafted in at the last minute after Oman pulled out and Pakistan’s withdrawal led to Bangladesh’s inclusion. In the last few years, India has played many of its Asian opponents only in the three continental tournaments – the Asian Champions Trophy, the Asian Games, and the Asia Cup.
Teams like China, Korea and Malaysia are known for their speed and counter-attacking, against whom the Indian defence, exposed during the Pro League, will have to be on guard.
The last two times India lost to an Asian side was at the 2022 Asia Cup (Japan) and 2019 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup (Korea). It says a lot about India’s growth in world hockey but also raises questions on the level of competition in the continent.
The Asia Cup has returned to India after 18 years, the last time being in Chennai in 2007 which India won. A lot has changed in world hockey since then but the host would be hoping to ensure the result remains the same.
Published on Aug 28, 2025