Asian Champions Trophy 2023 to be held in Chennai in August
South Korea are the defending champions of the Asian Champions Trophy. The Indian men’s hockey team won a bronze medal after defeating Pakistan in the last edition.
Hockey
The Asian Champions Trophy 2023 hockey tournament will be held in Chennai, India from August 3 to 12, Hockey India (HI) confirmed on Monday.
The Asian Champions Trophy, in its seventh edition, will be held in Chennai for the first time. It will also be the first international hockey competition to be hosted in Chennai since the Asia Cup was held there in 2007.
The tournament will also serve as a preparatory event for the Indian men’s hockey team ahead of the Asian Games in September-October to be held in Hangzhou, China.
The Asian Champions Trophy was last held in Dhaka, Bangladesh in 2021. South Korea defeated Japan in the final on penalties to win their maiden title. India defeated Pakistan 4-3 in the bronze medal match.
India and Pakistan are also the most successful teams in the Asian Champions Trophy. The Indian men’s hockey team lifted the title in 2011 and 2016 and Pakistan became champions in 2012 and 2013. The two teams shared the honours in the 2018 edition held in Oman after the final was called off due to heavy rain.
The 2021 edition saw six teams - India, South Korea, Pakistan, Japan, Bangladesh and Malaysia - compete for the title.
The teams for the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 hockey tournament and competition format will be revealed later.