India’s Asiad dress rehearsal

Chennai, August 2

Tournament favourites and three-time champions India will look to give final touches to their Asian Games preparation in the Asian Champions Trophy beginning here tomorrow.

World No. 4 India are the highest ranked side in the tournament and will open their campaign against China at the Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium here, which is hosting a major event for the first time since 2007. It is also the first time that India are hosting the ACT since the tournament’s inception in 2011.

For India, the primary objective in the tournament would be to test the players and get a fair bit of idea about their main rivals ahead of the Asian Games, to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 to October 8.

With the Asian Games providing a direct ticket to next year’s Paris Olympics, India are expected to test their resources in the ACT while also playing a balancing act to keep their players fresh and free from injuries.

India captain Harmanpreet Singh has already clarified that the team will have to be smart in this tournament and will not go all-guns-blazing as its priority is the Asian Games.

India might have gained both in terms of ranking and respect in world hockey, but the Tokyo Games bronze medallists fared poorly in the FIH World Cup co-hosted by Bhubaneswar and Rourkela earlier this year.

The Indians finished a disappointing ninth in the World Cup. But since then, the Harmanpreet-led team has played 16 games, winning nine and losing five, along with a couple of draws. India come into the tournament straight from a four-nation tournament in Spain.

The one area India will be looking to address in the tournament is their penalty corner conversion rate. Despite boasting of potent drag-flickers in Harmanpreet, Varun Kumar, Amit Rohidas and Jugraj Singh, the conversion rate has been a topic of debate lately.

But coach Craig Fulton is not losing sleep over it. “We have a world-class penalty corner specialists. I think we can always improve. It’s just how much detail we want to go into and how much time we put into improving it,” he said.

India won the event in 2011, 2016 and 2018. They also won silver in 2012 and bronze in 2021. China, on the other hand, would be playing their first competitive tournament this year, having missed the World Cup. — PTI

India could travel to Pak if Asiad bid fails, says HI prez Tirkey

Chennai: Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey today said that the national men’s team will travel to Pakistan for the Olympics qualifiers in case it fails to secure a direct berth by winning gold at the Asian Games. “We will be trying to get the job done in Hangzhou,” Tirkey said. “But, if for some reason, we fail to qualify, then there are a couple of venues that have been identified for the qualifiers — Pakistan and Spain. So, wherever it happens, we will definitely go,” he added. Travelling to Pakistan requires government clearance. pti

Young Pakistan relishing India tie

New Delhi: Tasked with the duty of guiding his country’s premier talents, Pakistan’s assistant coach Rehan Butt cannot wait for the India game to start. Pakistan play India in a high-profile match on Ausgust 9. “I have heard that tickets have been sold out for the India-Pakistan clash. There is a lot of following for this game and it is time the bilateral hockey relations resumed between the two nations,” he said. Pakistan have sent a young side for the ACT and their focus is to prepare the side for the Asian Games in September. “Since we have a young side facing world No. 4 India, pressure will of course be on the players,” Butt said. “But India will be under pressure too, for they are playing on their turf.”