"We want to pay tribute to Major Dhyan Chand by winning": Hardik Singh ahead of Asia Cup opener

Rajgir (Bihar) [India], August 28 : India's Hardik Singh has set his sights on a winning start in the Men's Asia Cup 2025 Hockey. The Indian team will face China in their opening clash on Friday, a match that coincides with the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.

Hardik emphasised the team's determination to honour the memory of the late icon.

"I think we should give our 100%. We should pay tribute to Major Dhyan Chand by playing good hockey and winning the match," Hardik told ANI.

India, which is coming off a bronze medal finish at the Paris 2024 Olympics, will be hoping to make a strong statement in front of home fans. Hardik believes playing in Rajgir offers a special advantage and praised the efforts taken to ensure world-class facilities for the tournament.

"Our preparations are going well. We have worked on all the room for error. We are ready. The younger generation here will be very inspired by this. Good facilities are being provided here, and it's a good opportunity for us that the match is being held in our home," he said.

He also stressed the team's aggressive mindset heading into the tournament.

"Our target in every match will be to win and dominate," Hardik added.

His teammate Rajinder Singh Jr said, "The team's preparation is good. The ground is very good. Right now, we are trying to stay in touch with the ground so that we can get to know it well...This is an important match for us so that we win the Asia Cup and remain number 1 in Asia. This is our chance to qualify for the World Cup."

The Men in Blue are a prolific presence in the Asia Cup, having won it thrice in 2003, 2007 and 2017 and finishing as runners-up five times. They are featured in Pool A alongside Japan, China and Kazakhstan.

The tournament, a quadrennial event that began in 1982, also serves as a qualification event for the 2026 FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, which will be co-hosted by the Netherlands and Belgium.

The winners of the Asia Cup will earn a direct berth to the World Cup, while the teams finishing from second to sixth will advance to the FIH World Cup Qualifiers, scheduled to be held in February-March 2026.

Harmanpreet will captain an 18-member Indian men's hockey team in Rajgir. The experienced squad features stalwarts such as Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Vivek Sagar Prasad, Mandeep Singh, and Amit Rohidas.

A total of eight teams will contest for the title and have been divided into two groups of four. After single-headed round-robin matches, the top two from each pool will qualify for the Super 4s, with the top two from that stage contesting the final on September 7.

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