The Indian men’s hockey team will open its campaign against New Zealand in the Tokyo Olympics on July 24 next year. The women’s side will be up against the Netherlands in their first match on the same day.
India has been clubbed along side Australia, Argentina, Spain, New Zealand and host Japan in a tough Pool-A.
The Indian men’s team, which won the last of its eight Olympic golds in Moscow in 1980, will play Australia on July 25, followed by matches against Spain (July 27), reigning Olympic champion Argentina (July 29) and Japan (July 30).
In the women’s competition, India is in Pool-A alongside the Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Ireland and South Africa.
After the Games opener against the Netherlands on July 24, Indian women will play Germany (July 26), Great Britain (July 28), Argentina (July 29) and Japan (July 30).
Besides the revised schedule announced by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) on Friday, nothing has changed in terms of the location and overall running order of the matches.
In line with what was planned for this year, the opening match of next year’s Olympic Games will be contested between Japan and Australia men, while the women’s opener will feature reigning World champion and current World No. 1 the Netherlands and India.
The top four from the two pools in both men and women’s competition will qualify for the quarterfinals.
The men’s quarterfinals, semifinals and final are scheduled for August 1, 3 and 5 respectively, while the knock-out matches of the women’s competition will be played on August 2, 4 and 6.
India’s matches:
Men: vs. New Zealand (July 24); vs. Australia (July 25); vs. Spain (July 27); vs. Argentina (July 29); vs. Japan (July 30).
Women: vs. the Netherlands (July 24); vs. Germany (July 26); vs. Great Britain (July 28); vs. Argentina (July 29); vs. Japan (July 30) .
