Kakamigahara, September 19, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
The Indian men’s and women’s hockey teams will begin their respective Asian Games 2026 campaigns on Sunday, with the men aiming to defend their gold medal and the women looking to build on a strong World Cup campaign.
The Harmanpreet Singh-led men’s team, placed in Pool A, will open its campaign against Indonesia at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Kakamigahara. The team enters the tournament after finishing eighth at the 2026 World Cup and will look to address the shortcomings from that campaign.
India head coach Craig Fulton said the team had reviewed its World Cup performance and was now focused on turning those lessons into action.
“These are lessons, and the only way to treat them as lessons learned is to turn that learning into action. That’s what we’ve got to do now. We’ve discussed everything, gone through everything and highlighted areas needing improvement. At the same time, it’s now about action,” Fulton said, as quoted by Hockey India.
India are four-time Asian Games gold medallists, having won the title in 1966, 1998, 2014 and 2022. They are also the reigning two-time Olympic bronze medallists and will be keen to secure qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The Indian men are grouped with Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. South Korea, also four-time Asian Games champions, and 2018 champions Japan will provide significant tests in the pool stage.
The Indian women, meanwhile, will begin their Pool B campaign against Uzbekistan at the same venue. The Salima Tete-led side enters the tournament after finishing fifth at the 2026 World Cup, their best result at the competition in 52 years.
Head coach Marijne said the team must now put its World Cup achievement behind it and concentrate on the next challenge.
“We did something remarkable and historical, but we have to move on to the next tournament… You have to close a chapter before you move to the next one,” Marijne said.
India have won the women’s Asian Games hockey gold only once, in 1982, and also claimed bronze at the 2023 Hangzhou Games. The team had finished fourth at the 2020 Olympics but did not qualify for the 2024 Paris Games.
The Asian Games carry additional significance as the gold medallists in both men’s and women’s hockey will earn direct qualification for the 2028 Olympics.
The Indian women are placed in Pool B alongside Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Singapore. They will face strong competition from China, who are four-time Asian Games gold medallists, the defending champions and the reigning Olympic silver medallists.
When Will India Play Their Openers?
The Indian women’s team will face Uzbekistan on Sunday at 7:30 AM IST at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium.
The Indian men’s team will take on Indonesia in their Pool A opener at 11:30 AM IST at the same venue.
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