Patna: The wait is over as the 10-day Men’s Asia Hockey Cup 2025 is all set to begin from tomorrow (Friday, August 29) in Bihar’s Rajgir on “National Sports Day”, marking the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand.
This is the 12th edition of the Hockey Asia Cup, which will feature eight top Asian nations- India, Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Korea, Bangladesh, and Chinese Taipei. All the teams have reached Rajgir, where they will vie for the Asia Cup 2025. Adequate facilities and security arrangements have been made for the players’ stay at different hotels at Rajgir, whereas members of the Indian Hockey team will stay at the sports complex.
All the matches will be played at the International Sports Complex at Rajgir beginning tomorrow, i.e. August 29 and will conclude on September 7, 2025.
The event assumes significance as it serves as a qualifier for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, which has added extra intensity and significance to every game.
Defending champion Korea most successful team with five titles
“It is for the first time that Men’s Asia Hockey Cup is being held in Bihar’s Rajgir. This is the 12th edition of Asia Cup in which eight teams are participating,” Bihar State Sports Authority Director General-cum-CEO Raveendran Sankaran said.
Out of 11 editions held so far, defending champion South Korea is the most successful team participating in the Men’s Asia Cup as it has won the title five times in 1994, 1999, 2009, 2013 and 2022, while the host India has won the Cup in the year 2003, 2007 and 2017 and Pakistan has also won it thrice in 1982, 1985 and 1989, he added.
In order to attract hockey fans to see the matches at the stadium, Hockey India has already announced that entry for all matches of the Asia Cup at Rajgir will be free.
Free tickets for fans
Fans can register for their free tickets by visiting www.ticketgenie.in or the Hockey India app, where they will receive a virtual ticket upon completion of the process. The arrangements have been made to avoid any rush at the venue and also to ensure that fans can enjoy the thrill of world-class hockey without any cost, making the sport more accessible than ever before.
Asia Cup 2025 to feature 24 matches
Hosts India have been placed in Pool A alongside Japan, China, and Kazakhstan. They will kick off their campaign against China on 29th August, followed by a clash with Japan on 31st August, and their final pool match against Kazakhstan on 1st September. In Pool A, apart from the India-China match, Japan and Kazakhstan will also clash on the inaugural day.
Pool B comprises Malaysia, Korea, Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei. The inaugural match will be played between Malaysia and Bangladesh, while the second match of the first day will be played between Korea and Chinese Taipei.
With a view to taking the message of Hockey among the masses, a “Trophy Gaurav Yatra” has been taken out in various parts of the districts of Bihar and also the different states of the country. The Yatra will culminate on August 29 when it reaches Rajgir.
A total of 24 matches will be played till the final match to be played on September 7, 2025.
Hosting Asia Cup hockey tournament matter of pride for Bihar
Stating that hosting the Asia Cup 2025 is a matter of pride for Bihar, Sankaran said that “it (hosting Asia Cup) will not only showcase the state’s ability to host international sporting events but will also strengthen Bihar’s global image in the field of tourism, art and culture”
“The world class hockey stadium of Rajgir Sports Complex will make the event even more grand. Organising the Asia Cup 2025 is historic for Bihar, which will establish the state on the global platform in the field of sports, culture and tourism,” Sankaran said.
Major sporting events hosted by Bihar
The sports complex at Rajgir has given Bihar a new identity in the field of sports, both at the national and international levels, because the state has already successfully organised several tournaments/championships, such as Women’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in November 2024 when six teams -India, Malaysia, Japan, China, Thailand and Korea- had participated at the event.
Khelo India Youth Games in May this year (2025) was held at five cities, including Rajgi,r which hosted major events. The Sepak Takraw World Cup 2025 was held at Patliputra Sports Complex in Patna.