New Delhi: India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams have departed for Japan with the Asian Games 2026 gold medal firmly in their sights. The Aichi Nagoya Games will be held from September 19 to October 4, with hockey matches scheduled in Kakamigahara, around 35 km from Nagoya.
For the men’s team, captain Harmanpreet Singh will lead the defending champions as they look to put their disappointing eighth place finish at the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup behind them. India showed flashes of quality in the Netherlands and Belgium but struggled for consistency in crucial matches.
The Asian Games present an opportunity to respond strongly. The gold medal carries an additional reward, with the highest eligible team securing direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. India won the title at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games and will now look to retain its continental crown.
India has been drawn in Pool A alongside Japan, South Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. The campaign begins against Indonesia on September 20, with the pool stage concluding against Bangladesh on September 28. The semifinals are scheduled for October 1, followed by the final on October 3.
The women’s team enters the tournament with renewed confidence after producing a historic fifth place finish at the 2026 World Cup, its best result since the inaugural tournament in 1974. Captain Salima Tete, who has also guided India to the Nations Cup title, will lead the side under coach Sjoerd Marijne.
The women are placed in Pool B with Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Uzbekistan. India begins against Uzbekistan on September 20 before facing Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Singapore.
Tete has set a clear target of winning gold and securing direct Olympic qualification. The squad combines experienced players including Savita, Navneet Kaur, Neha, Nikki Pradhan, Lalremsiami and Sushila Chanu Pukhrambam with several promising younger players.
With Olympic qualification at stake for both teams, India will aim to turn recent international momentum into Asian Games gold.
