The Sports Ministry has urged Hockey India to field its strongest teams for the upcoming Asian Games amid an ongoing debate over player workload and the possibility of fielding separate squads for the continental event and the World Cup later this year.
The FIH Men’s and Women’s Hockey World Cup will be held in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30, while the Asian Games are scheduled in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, from September 19 to October 4. Though the two tournaments do not overlap, the short turnaround time between them has raised concerns about player fatigue for both the men’s and women’s teams.
While national coaches Craig Fulton (men) and Sjoerd Marijne (women) are reportedly against splitting squads, the Sports Ministry believes India has sufficient depth to manage two competitive teams and reduce the burden on key players.
“There should ideally be two teams, and the A teams should go for the Asian Games because it is an Olympic qualifier,” a ministry source said.
The ministry has also communicated to national federations that they should maintain a strong second-string squad capable of competing at the highest level across tournaments.
“In hockey, we do not lack talent. We can field two separate competitive teams for both men and women, keeping the calendar in mind,” the source added.
Notably, gold medal winners in both men’s and women’s hockey at the Asian Games will secure qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Hockey India Secretary General Bholanath Singh said the federation is yet to take a final call on squad composition.
“We will send the best teams for both the Asian Games and the World Cup. No decisions or selections have been made yet. We are considering all factors,” Singh told PTI.
Player workload management has been a recurring issue in years featuring closely scheduled multi-sport events. However, the upcoming Commonwealth Games in Glasgow will not include hockey, easing some of the calendar congestion across major disciplines.
(With inputs from PTI)