Bhopal: Defending champions India will begin their campaign against Malaysia in the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Madhya Pradesh Women’s Asian Champions Trophy Bhopal 2026 on November 19. The tournament will be held from November 19 to 28, with six leading Asian teams competing for the title.
The tournament schedule was announced. Besides India and Malaysia, the participating teams include China, Japan, South Korea and Thailand. All matches will be played at the newly developed hockey stadium at Nathu Barkheda International Sports Complex in Bhopal.
India will face South Korea on November 21, Thailand on November 22, China on November 24 and Japan on November 25. The opening match of the tournament will feature China and Thailand.
The competition will follow a round-robin format, with each team playing five matches. The top four sides will qualify for the semi-finals. November 20, 23 and 26 have been designated as rest days. The semi-finals and classification matches for fifth and sixth places will take place on November 27, while the final and third-place match are scheduled for November 28.
The tournament will be India’s first major assignment following its gold medal-winning performance at the Asian Games in Japan. The team will aim to defend its continental title on home soil.
Hockey India President and Olympian Dilip Tirkey said the championship would showcase the growing strength of women’s hockey in Asia. He expressed confidence that the Indian team would draw inspiration from its recent Asian Games success to retain the trophy.
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh welcomed the participation of six competitive Asian teams and thanked the Madhya Pradesh government for its support in hosting the championship.
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