India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams begin Asian Games campaigns in Kakamigahara aiming for gold and Olympic berth
India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams begin their campaigns at the 20th Asian Games Aichi‑Nagoya 2026 on 20 September, aiming to win gold and secure direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The hockey tournament will be played in Kakamigahara.
The men have been drawn in Pool A with Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, while the women are in Pool B alongside Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Singapore. India arrive in Japan on a mixed note after the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, where the men finished eighth and the women achieved their best World Cup finish in 52 years by placing fifth. The men are captained by Harmanpreet Singh and coached by Craig Fulton; the women are led by Salima Tete with Sjoerd Marijne as chief coach, appointed in January 2026.
For the men the Asian Games also present a title defence: India won the last Asian Games gold in Hangzhou in 2023 and hold four Asian Games gold medals overall. The team claimed the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup in Rajgir, adding to their continental credentials. On preparing after the World Cup, Fulton said: “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.”
India’s men open Pool A against Indonesia on 20 September at 11:30 IST in Kakamigahara and then face Sri Lanka on 22 September, South Korea on 24 September, Japan on 26 September and Bangladesh on 28 September. Those fixtures determine which teams progress from the pool stage to the knockout rounds scheduled later in the tournament.
The Indian women arrive boosted by their World Cup campaign and a bronze-medal finish at the 2023 Asian Games, targeting an improvement on that result and a rare second Asian Games gold. Their World Cup run included a 2-2 draw against China, a result the coaching staff view as evidence of progress. Marijne said: “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.” He added: “Success is not guaranteed. You have to fight for it again and give even more.”
India’s women begin Pool B against Uzbekistan on 20 September at 07:30 IST, followed by matches against Indonesia on 21 September, Thailand on 23 September, Japan on 25 September and Singapore on 27 September. The schedule sets out five pool fixtures that will decide the sides advancing to the semi-finals.
Both head coaches have stressed consistent intensity and focus for each match. Fulton put it succinctly: “All respect to whoever we play. The only way to truly respect the opposition is by giving 100%. That’s what we’ve done, and that’s what we’ll continue to do in all the tournaments.” Marijne reflected a similar inward focus: “We are really busy with ourselves. What other countries are doing, it doesn’t have my interest. We need to do our things really well, and then the outcome can be good.”
Pool play runs through 28 September, with the semi-finals set for 30 September, the women’s gold-medal match on 2 October and the men’s final on 3 October; the tournament’s medal matches carry the additional reward of a direct berth to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games for the winners.
