Hockey Asia Cup schedule announced, Bangladesh, Kazakhstan replace Pakistan, Oman

The Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) on Tuesday announced the schedule for the Hockey Asia Cup 2025, as Pakistan have officially pulled out of the tournament, which will be played in Bihar from August 29 to September 7. Bangladesh have come in place of Pakistan, while Kazakhstan replaced Oman in the eight-team event. 

Hosts India are placed in Pool A alongside China, Japan and Kazakhstan, while Pool B features defending champions Korea, Malaysia, Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the 2026 World Cup in Belgium and the Netherlands.

India to face China in opener, check tournament’s schedule

The tournament will begin on August 29 with all eight teams playing their fixtures. Malaysia and Bangladesh will kick the tournament off with their clash scheduled to begin at 9 AM. India will be up against China in their opener on the same day at 3 PM. 

The Men in Blue will face Japan in their second clash on August 31, followed by their last Pool game against Kazakhstan on September 1. The top two teams from the two pools will qualify for the Super 4s, which will be played from September 3 onwards. 

Notably, the top two teams from the Super 4s will directly qualify for the final, which is scheduled to take place on September 7.

Pakistan denied travelling to India

Meanwhile, Pakistan had denied travelling to India due to security issues. The Indian government had earlier said that the Pakistan players would get visas for travel to India for the tournament; however, the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) denied travelling to the neighbouring nation. 

Pakistan’s participation in the tournament has been uncertain since the recent military confrontation between India and Pakistan. India launched Operation Sindoor after the Pahalgam terror attack. The two nations were in confrontation for a few days before they opted for an agreement to stop military action.