By the time the Indian men’s hockey team lands in Hangzhou for the Asian Games, beginning on September 23, they would have played three tournaments in nine weeks. Given the packed schedule ahead of the Asian Games, where the winner earns a direct ticket for next year’s Paris Olympics, the scheduling of the Asian Champions Trophy — which gets under way in Chennai on Thursday — has drawn flak from participating teams.
It is a high-intensity competition with the finalists playing 10 matches in seven days. The turnaround time for Harmanpreet Singh and his men in particular is daunting. They have been on the road for more than three weeks. After competing in Germany in a three-nation tournament, they headed to Spain where they wrapped up on Sunday before arriving in Chennai.
