‘Looking forward to defending our title in China': India vice-captain Hardik Singh

The Indian men's hockey team will look to defend its Asian Champions Trophy crown when the tournament gets underway in Hulunbuir City, China, on September 8-17. The teams that qualified for this edition are China, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, and defending champion India.

Speaking about the tournament, Indian vice-captain Hardik Singh said, “The Asian Champions Trophy is a prestigious tournament where teams battle to claim the title of being the best hockey team in Asia. We aim to be the best team in the world, and an important step in that journey will be to retain the trophy and solidify our position as the best team in Asia”.

India clinched the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai last year in August. India was the unbeaten champion as it topped the pool with four wins and a draw. In the semifinal, India defeated Japan 5-0.

In the final, India trailed 3-1 at halftime, but goals from Captain Harmanpreet Singh, Gurjant Singh, and Akashdeep Singh in the second half ensured that India were crowned champion of Asia.

Reflecting on the team's performance Hardik said, “The Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai was a spectacular tournament. As a team, we were still adapting to the new style of play under chief coach Craig Fulton, and claiming the gold medal was a testament to the progress the team had made under him. We also had the mental trainer Paddy Upton with us to help us along the way, and the team showed immense character to keep their wits about them and turn things around when we were trailing to Malaysia in the Final."

“Coming back from behind to win the tournament was a special feeling, and looking back, I feel the team used that game as a springboard to reach greater heights. There is no doubt that we are looking forward to playing in the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 and defending our title,” the midfielder signed off.