Aichi-Nagoya, Japan: India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams start their campaigns at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 on 20 September. Both have come to Japan with the same aim: win gold and earn a direct place at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The hockey competition is being held in Kakamigahara. The men open against Indonesia and the women against Uzbekistan, both on the same day.
The draw
The men are in Pool A with Indonesia, South Korea, Japan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The women are in Pool B with Uzbekistan, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan and Singapore.
Different World Cups, same approach
Both teams come to the Asian Games from the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, where the results were quite different. The men finished eighth. The women finished fifth, their best World Cup result in 52 years.
Even so, the two squads are going about it the same way. They want to learn from the World Cup, make the changes needed and concentrate on the job in front of them.
Men look to defend their title
The Indian men won gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games in 2023, and they now have a title to defend. This time a win also brings direct qualification for the LA 2028 Olympic Games. Captain Harmanpreet Singh leads the side, and Craig Fulton is the coach. The team will lean on its recent international experience while making a fresh start in Japan.
Fulton said the World Cup lessons only count if the team acts on them.
“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,” said Fulton.
India also arrive as reigning Asian champions, having won the 2025 Men’s Asia Cup in Rajgir. They have won four Asian Games gold medals, the latest in Hangzhou in 2023.
The men open their Pool A campaign against Indonesia on 20 September at 11:30 IST. They then play Sri Lanka on 22 September, South Korea on 24 September, Japan on 26 September and Bangladesh on 28 September.
Women bring World Cup momentum
The Indian women arrive in good form after that fifth-place finish, their best at the tournament in more than five decades. They were also held to a 2-2 draw by China at the World Cup, a result that has added to the team’s belief.
Sjoerd Marijne has overseen a period of renewed development. He returned to the women’s programme earlier this year and was appointed Chief Coach in January 2026.
Captain Salima Tete’s side want to improve on their bronze medal from the 2023 Asian Games and go for only their second Asian Games gold.
Marijne wants his players to acknowledge what they achieved in the World Cup and then move on.
“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,” said Marijne.
He has also warned that the World Cup result gives the team no reason to relax. “Success is not guaranteed. You have to fight for it again and give even more,” he said.
The women begin their Pool B campaign against Uzbekistan on 20 September at 07:30 IST. Their remaining matches are against Indonesia on 21 September, Thailand on 23 September, Japan on 25 September and Singapore on 27 September.
One match at a time
Both coaches say the focus is on their own team, and both have said so in similar terms.
For Fulton, that means treating every opponent the same way.
“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,” he said.
Marijne is less interested in the other teams.
“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,” he said.
What comes next
The pool stage runs until 28 September and the semi-finals are on 30 September. The women’s gold medal match is on 2 October, and the men’s final follows on 3 October.
For the men, gold would mean a second successive Asian Games title and a defended continental crown. For the women, it would be a return to the top of the podium after their bronze in 2023, building on the World Cup run. With Olympic qualification also at stake, the road to LA 2028 starts in Japan.
