Though they have endured an indifferent run this year, the Indian women will be keen to put up a strong show in a bid to defend their title at the Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2024 in Rajgir, Bihar. The tournament will be played from 11 to 20 November, and will be the first-ever international hockey tournament hosted in the state. (More Hockey News)
Led by skipper Salima Tete and vice-captain Navneet Kaur, India will begin their campaign against Malaysia on 11th November, followed by a match against Korea on 12th November. After a day of rest, India will face Thailand on 14th November. On 16th November, India will take on Paris Olympics silver medallists China and conclude the pool stage with a match against Japan on 17th November.
Upon arrival in Bihar, Salima Tete said: “We have been training rigorously at SAI Bengaluru for the Asian Champions Trophy. In previous matches, we faced challenges in the final third of the pitch, so we have focused significantly on improving in that area.
"We will take it match by match and aim to perform well in each one; every team poses a different challenge, and we won’t take any opponent lightly. This is the first time we’re playing international hockey in Bihar, and we hope to inspire all the girls in the region with our performances. We’ve prepared well, and we’re confident our hard work will show on the turf.”
This tournament will be the Indian women’s hockey team’s first Asian competition under chief coach Harendra Singh, who took charge earlier this year.
“Each team will come with the goal of winning the trophy, and we have spent the last five months preparing with the Asian Champions Trophy in mind. We identified areas for improvement, such as combinations and decision-making in the shooting circle, and have worked on them. I am confident that hockey fans will witness a new side of the Indian women’s hockey team this time, and they won’t be disappointed,” Singh said.
Women's Asian Champions Trophy Hockey: Teams, Format
The six-team competition involves defending champions India alongside Paris Olympics silver medallists China, as well as Japan, Korea, Malaysia, and Thailand. It will be played in a round-robin format in the pool stage between November 11 and 17, with all teams playing the other five once.
The top four teams will advance to the semi-finals on 19 November. The winners will then progress to the Final, scheduled for 20 November. There will also be matches to decide the fifth-sixth place and the bronze medal.
Women's Asian Champions Trophy Hockey: Schedule
| November 11, Monday | Japan vs South Korea | 3:00 PM |
| November 11, Monday | China vs Thailand | 5:15 PM |
| November 11, Monday | India vs Malaysia | 7:30 PM |
| November 12, Tuesday | Thailand vs Japan | 3:00 PM |
| November 12, Tuesday | China vs Malaysia | 5:15 PM |
| November 12, Tuesday | India vs South Korea | 7:30 PM |
| November 14, Thursday | South Korea vs Malaysia | 3:00 PM |
| November 14, Thursday | Japan vs China | 5:15 PM |
| November 14, Thursday | Thailand vs India | 7:30 PM |
| November 16, Saturday | Malaysia vs Japan | 3:00 PM |
| November 16, Saturday | South Korea vs Thailand | 5:15 PM |
| November 16, Saturday | India vs China | 7:30 PM |
| November 17, Sunday | Malaysia vs Thailand | 4:00 PM |
| November 17, Sunday | China vs South Korea | 6:15 PM |
| November 17, Sunday | Japan vs India | 8:30 PM |
| November 19, Tuesday | Fifth/sixth place classification match | 2:30 PM |
| November 19, Tuesday | Semi-final 1 | 5:00 PM |
| November 19, Tuesday | Semi-final 2 | 7:30 PM |
| November 20, Wednesday | Bronze medal match | 5:00 PM |
| November 20, Wednesday | Final | 7:30 PM |
Women's Asian Champions Trophy Hockey: Live Streaming, Telecast Details
All the matches from the Women’s Asian Champions Trophy 2024 will be broadcast and streamed live on Sony Sports Network. The TV telecast will be on the Sony Sports Ten 1 channel and live streaming on SonyLiv. The India matches will also be televised on DD Sports.
