India confident of reclaiming Asia Cup hockey crown and sealing World Cup berth

India head coach Craig Fulton has made it clear that while the team is confident about reclaiming the Asia Cup hockey title, no opponent will be taken lightly when the tournament begins in Rajgir on August 29.

India, who have lifted the Asia Cup title three times, will be aiming to repeat their 2017 triumph when they edged Malaysia 2-1 in the final at Dhaka. Their last campaign in 2022 saw them settle for a third-place finish, with South Korea taking the top honours and Malaysia finishing runners-up. This time, India find themselves in Pool A alongside Japan, China, and Kazakhstan, while Pool B features Malaysia, Korea, Bangladesh, and Chinese Taipei.

Speaking to reporters after arriving in Rajgir, Fulton said the team’s preparation has been thorough and the focus will be on building momentum step by step.

“The team's preparation has been solid for this tournament. Our approach will be similar to that of Paris Olympics where we began with good wins in the pool stage.

“We want to start well here, take it game-by-game, build on our momentum and we are cognisant that it's been eight years since India last won the title (in 2017, Dhaka). While we are confident of winning, we don't want to take any team lightly,” Fulton said.

The tournament will also mark the first time India’s men’s hockey team plays in Rajgir, a development Fulton believes can boost the sport’s popularity in the region.

“We are very happy to arrive in Bihar for this prestigious tournament. It is great that international hockey is being hosted here and we want to inspire the people of this region with our game, and create more fans for the sport,” he said.

India captain Harmanpreet Singh shared the same excitement about playing in Bihar, praising the government’s support for hockey.

“We have never played in Bihar and it's exciting to see that Rajgir is already hosting its second international hockey tournament within a span of one year. This shows the government's intent to support the game and we are looking forward to the love and support of hockey fans here throughout the tournament,” he said.

With a full-strength squad at his disposal, Fulton hopes to combine confidence with consistency as India chase both the Asia Cup title and a World Cup berth.