Defending champion India has been placed in Pool A alongside Japan and South Korea for the men’s hockey competition at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya.
India, the highest-ranked side in the 12-team tournament, will also face Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia during the pool stage. Archrival Pakistan has been drawn in Pool B, keeping the two teams apart in the opening phase of the competition.
The Asian Games will carry added importance for the participating teams as the hockey tournament will also serve as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
India will enter the competition as the defending champion and the leading-ranked team in the field. Japan and South Korea are expected to be among its key opponents during the pool stage, while Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia complete the six-team group.
Pakistan, meanwhile, will compete in Pool B alongside Malaysia, host China, Oman, Uzbekistan and Thailand.
The draw means a potential India-Pakistan meeting will have to wait until after the initial pool phase, depending on how the two teams progress through the tournament.
India will be looking to defend the Asian Games crown while also keeping its Olympic qualification ambitions firmly on track. Its position as the highest-ranked team gives it a strong starting point, but the presence of Japan and South Korea ensures the defending champion will face significant challenges in its group.
The tournament will feature 12 teams divided equally between two pools.
Men’s Hockey – Asian Games 2026
Pool A: India, Japan, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Indonesia
Pool B: Pakistan, Malaysia, China, Oman, Uzbekistan, Thailand
For India, success in Aichi-Nagoya would carry significance beyond retaining its continental title. With qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics connected to the tournament, the Asian Games provides the team with an opportunity to strengthen its path towards another appearance on the Olympic stage.
The pool-stage draw has now set the first part of that challenge, with India beginning its title defence against a group featuring two major Asian opponents in Japan and South Korea.
