Indian women's hockey team to open their Asia Cup campaign against Thailand

New Delhi [India] June 4 (ANI): The Indian Women's Hockey Team is set to kick off their Women's Asia Cup 2025 campaign against Thailand on September 5.
The Indian Team has been placed in Pool B, alongside defending Asia Cup champions Japan, Thailand, and Singapore, while Pool A consists of hosts China, Korea, Malaysia, and Chinese Taipei.
The tournament is set to take place in Hangzhou, China, September 5 to 14, 2025. Team India, which claimed the Bronze medal in the previous edition, will be eyeing the top podium finish this time.
A victory not only brings continental glory but also guarantees a direct qualification to the 2026 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup, as the Asia Cup champions earn an automatic berth in the prestigious quadrennial event, a Hockey India release said.
Speaking on the tournament, India Captain Salima Tete said, "We are excited to begin our campaign in the Women's Asia Cup. Being placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Japan will test our skills and character from the very start. However, facing them in the pool stage will be a great opportunity to measure ourselves early in the tournament. Our focus will be on playing smart, disciplined hockey and taking it one match at a time. The ultimate goal is to lift the trophy and earn a direct spot in the 2026 Women's FIH Hockey World Cup."
Echoing Salima's sentiments, Vice Captain Navneet Kaur said, "It will be a challenging tournament with Asia's top teams competing with each other, but we see it as a chance to bring out our best right from the first whistle. We've been training with intensity and purpose, and we will aim to execute our plans on the field during the tournament. Playing against Japan in the group stage gives us an early look at high-pressure hockey, which can only help us grow stronger as a unit. We're determined to make this Asia Cup campaign count and make the country proud."
Notably, the Indian Women's Hockey Team last won the Asia Cup back in 2017, when they defeated China in the Final to lift the title.
India's schedule for the Asia Cup 2025 Pool B matches is as follows:
5th September 2025: India vs Thailand
6th September 2025: Japan vs India
8th September 2025: India vs Singapore
According to the tournament format, the top two teams from each pool will advance to the Super 4s Pool, where each team will play one match against each of the other three teams. The top two teams from the Super 4s Pool will qualify for the Final, while the third- and fourth-placed teams will compete in the 3rd/4th place match.
The bottom two teams from Pool A and Pool B will play classification matches to determine the 5th to 8th positions in the tournament. (ANI)