India women to defend Asian Champions Trophy title in Bhopal
The six-nation tournament runs from November 19 to 28 at Bhopal's new hockey stadium.
India will open its Women's Asian Champions Trophy 2026 campaign against Malaysia on November 19 in Bhopal. The hosts are three-time champions and will seek a third straight crown.
Key takeaways
- India will face Malaysia in the tournament opener on November 19 in Bhopal.
- The six teams are India, Japan, China, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea.
- India won the Asian Champions Trophy in 2016, 2023 and 2024.
- The final will be played on November 28 after the bronze-medal match.
- The venue is the new hockey stadium at the International Sports Complex, Nathu Barkheda.
India will begin its Women's Asian Champions Trophy title defence against Malaysia when the six-nation tournament opens in Bhopal on November 19, NDTV Sports reported.
India enters as a three-time champion, having won the title in 2016, 2023 and 2024, and is seeking a third consecutive crown. The competition marks India's first international assignment since its historic Asian Games gold medal in Japan last month.
The Asian Hockey Federation has unveiled the match schedule for the Madhya Pradesh Women's Asian Champions Trophy Bhopal 2026. The tournament will be held at Bhopal's new hockey stadium at the International Sports Complex in Nathu Barkheda from November 19 to 28. Six teams—India, Japan, China, Malaysia, Thailand and South Korea—will compete.
The tournament will follow a round-robin format, with each team playing the other five sides once. The top four teams at the end of the league stage will progress to the semi-finals.
The opening day on November 19 will begin with China taking on Thailand. India will start its title defence against Malaysia in a match scheduled after the opening ceremony later that day.
India will then face South Korea on November 21, Thailand on November 22, China on November 24 and Japan on November 25. November 20, 23 and 26 have been designated as rest days, Hockey India said in a release.
The classification match for fifth and sixth place, along with the two semi-finals, will be played on November 27. The tournament will conclude on November 28 with the bronze-medal match followed by the final.
Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said the tournament would be a great opportunity to celebrate the growing strength of women's hockey in Asia. He added that he looked forward to seeing the Indian team build on its recent Asian Games success and defend its title.
Hockey India Secretary General Bhola Nath Singh said the tournament would be an important opportunity for the players to carry forward the momentum of their historic Asian Games gold medal.
India's league fixtures
Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
November 19 | Malaysia |
November 21 | South Korea |
November 22 | Thailand |
November 24 | China |
November 25 | Japan |
Related on Apex Sports News
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India beat Japan 4-1 in Asian Champions Trophy 2026 match in Jalandhar
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