Indian team preparing hard for the Asia Cup, says HI president Tirkey

It was a woefully disappointing performance by the Indian men’s hockey team in the recently concluded FIH Pro League, having finished eighth among nine teams, with the side suffering seven successive losses in the European leg.

Dilip Tirkey, president of Hockey India, admitted that it has been a sub-par performance by the team, but Hockey India is watching the squad’s performance and welcomed the team management to share information about players’ form.

“Yes, the team did not perform as expected in the Pro League. If the players are tired and if they are not able to play well [for some reason or other], I’ve asked the team management to let us know. If the senior players are not performing to their own standards, the selectors can take strict action. We have important tournaments like the World Cup (August 14 to 30, 2026) and the Asian Games (September 19 to Oct. 4, 2026) coming up,” Tirkey told The Hindu, on the sidelines of the National sub-junior men’s hockey championships here on Monday.

With the Asia Cup (to be held from August 27 to September 7) in Rajgir, Bihar, where a spot is reserved for the winner to the World Cup, Tirkey said the tournament carries a lot of weight. “The Asia Cup is an important tournament. The team is preparing hard for it,” he said.

The Junior men’s World Cup to be held in Madurai and Chennai from November 28 to December 10, will be a huge success, with the support of the Tamil Nadu Government, said Tirkey. “The Government has always supported hockey. Take for instance the 2007 Asia Cup and the Asian Champions Trophy in 2023,” he added.

The decision to include 24 teams in the Junior World Cup, Tirkey claimed is to expand the base. “The weaker teams will gradually gain interest and get better. FIH (International body for hockey) is doing it to promote the sport. One-sided matches happened even when the World Cup had 16 teams,” he said.