The sports ministry wants Hockey India to nominate its best teams for the Asian Games amid ongoing debate over whether separate sides should be finalized for the continental showpiece and the World Cup later this year to ensure players are not burnt out.
While the World Championships will be held from August 15 to 30 in Belgium and the Netherlands, the Asian Games are scheduled from September 19 to October 4 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.
Although the two events do not technically coincide, the lack of turnover time for players, both male and female, is seen as a major problem.
However, neither men’s head coach Craig Fulton, nor is his counterpart in the women’s team, Sjoerd Marijne, in favor of fielding two teams, insisting that both high-intensity events should feature the same sides.
“Ideally there should be two teams and the A teams should be for the Asian Games because that is the Olympic qualification,” said a ministry source.
The ministry has already told the national federations that they should have a highly competitive B team always ready for competitions. And in hockey we have no shortage of players to select two separate teams (for men and women) considering the calendar,” he added.
The gold winners in both the men’s and women’s events at the Asian Games would qualify for the 2028 Los Angeles Games.
The biennial world championships are the sport’s premier competition and both Fulton and Marijne are expected to be focused on achieving results after a tough season last year and what is expected to be a tough year for both teams.
“We will send the best teams to both the Asian Games and the World Cup, we have not decided or selected the squads yet. We are considering all factors,” Hockey India general secretary Bholanath Singh told PTI when asked for his reaction to the ministry’s view.
Traditionally, burnout concerns have arisen every year when the Commonwealth Games and Asiad Games have been close together.
However upcoming CWG edition in Glasgow features an abbreviated roster that does not include hockey alongside a number of major disciplines such as shooting, badminton, wrestling and table tennis.
– The end
Issued by:
Amar Panicker
Published on:
13 Apr 2026 17:26 IST
