Hockey India is likely to field separate teams for the Hockey World Cup and the Asian Games later this year due to the close scheduling of the two events, a source from the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has confirmed.
The World Cup is set to take place in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30, while the Asian Games, which offer direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.
The 20-day gap between the tournaments has prompted consideration to prioritise the continental event with the A team, as the Asian Games serve as an Olympic qualifier. “We need to have two teams for the World Cup and Asian Games, and since the Asian Games is a qualification for the Los Angeles Olympics, our A team should go there,” the source stated.
Both the men’s and women’s Hockey World Cup tournaments, co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands, will feature 16 teams each divided into four pools of four teams. Each team will play the others once during the group stage. Notably, India and Pakistan have been drawn in the same pool in the men’s event, with their match scheduled for August 19.
The Asian Games, hosted by Japan’s Aichi-Nagoya region, will include competitions in some disciplines starting nine days prior to the official opening ceremony. India aims to surpass its previous record of 106 medals won at the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games through strategic planning and coordinated preparation. More than 700 Indian athletes are expected to participate across over 40 sports disciplines at the 2026 Asian Games.