The Indian men’s hockey team departed in the early hours of Tuesday for Hulunbuir, China, to compete in the Asian Champions Trophy.

The bronze medalists from the Paris 2024 Olympics are set to defend their title in the tournament, which will feature teams from Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, Japan, and China.

India’s campaign will start with a match against the host nation, China, on September 8. Following that, they will face Japan on September 9. After a short break, the team will play against Malaysia on September 11 and Korea on September 12. Their final pool stage match will be against archrivals Pakistan on September 14.

The top four teams from the pool stage will advance to the semi-finals on September 16, with the final scheduled for September 17.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh expressed confidence in the team’s readiness, stating, “After a brief break following the Paris Olympics, the team is geared up to compete against Asia’s top hockey nations and prove our worth. Although we had a successful outing in Paris, hockey is a highly competitive sport, and we must not rest on our laurels. Our goal is to play high-energy hockey and retain our title.”

Vice Captain Vivek Sagar Prasad shared his excitement about his role, saying, “It is a great honor to be named Vice Captain at such a young age. However, responsibilities are shared among the entire team. We have new players with immense potential who are eager to make an impact. We aim to support them and work together towards our title defense.”