India to open Women's Asia Cup campaign against Thailand
The Indian team, which claimed the bronze medal in the previous edition, is placed in Pool B along Japan, Thailand and Singapore while Pool A consists of hosts China, Korea, Malaysia, and Chinese Taipei.
The tournament is set to take place in Hangzhou, China, from September 5 to 14 and the winner will get a direct qualification to the 2026 World Cup.
India's second match will be against Japan on September 6, followed by final Pool B contest against Singapore on September 8.
"Being placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Japan will test our skills and character from the very start. However, facing them in the pool stage will be a great opportunity to measure ourselves early in the tournament," India captain Salima Tete said.
"Our focus will be on playing smart, disciplined hockey and taking it one match at a time. The ultimate goal is to lift the trophy and earn a direct spot in the 2026 women's FIH Hockey World Cup."
Echoing Salima's sentiments, vice-captain Navneet Kaur said, "It will be a challenging tournament with Asia's top teams competing with each other, but we see it as a chance to bring out our best right from the first whistle."
"We've been training with intensity and purpose, and we will aim to execute our plans on the field during the tournament. Playing against Japan in the group stage gives us an early look at high-pressure hockey, which can only help us grow stronger as a unit. We're determined to make this Asia Cup campaign count and make the country proud."
India had won the Asia Cup back in 2017, when they defeated China in the final.
According to the format, the top two teams from each pool will advance to the Super 4s Pool, where each team will play one match against each of the other three teams.
The top two teams from the Super 4s Pool will qualify for the final, while the third and fourth placed teams will compete in the 3rd/4th place match.
The bottom two teams from Pool A and Pool B will play classification matches to determine the 5th to 8th positions in the tournament.
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