Men’s Asia Cup Hockey 2025: Rajgir Makes History as Top Teams Battle for World Cup Qualification

Rajgir, Bihar, has become the heart of Asian hockey action thanks to the Hero Men’s Asia Cup Hockey 2025. Eight teams are competing from August 29 to September 7, 2025, not only for the title of best team on the continent but also for a straight spot in the 2026 FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup.  

This year’s tournament is a historic first for Bihar: it’s the first time the state has hosted an international hockey event of this size. It shows how India is becoming a leader in the sport and how its sports infrastructure is world-class.

Men’s Asia Cup Hockey 2025: A Storied Legacy

Pakistan dominated the Men’s Asia Cup Hockey 2025 in its first three editions in 1982, 1985, and 1989. After that, South Korea emerged as one of the best hockey teams in Asia and won five championships in 1994, 1999, 2009, 2013, and 2022. India won the title in 2003, 2007, and 2017. At first, it was played in a round-robin format. From 1985 on, it changed into the group stage and knockout format we know today.

Here is a list of its winners over the years:

• South Korea: Most successful team with 5 titles
• India: Won 3 titles (2003, 2007, 2017)
• Pakistan: Dominated early years with 3 wins

Rajgir: A Historic Host for Men’s Asia Cup Hockey 2025

For the first time, the famous tournament is being held in Rajgir, Bihar. The action takes place at the state-of-the-art Bihar Sports University Hockey Stadium.

The tournament mascot, “Shubhankar Chand,” and the Trophy Gaurav Yatra, a drive across Bihar to get people to play sports and show off their regional pride, were both started by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Teams and Format

In this tournament, a total of eight teams are competing:

• Qualified Directly: India (host), South Korea (defending champions), Malaysia, Japan, China
• Qualified via AHF Cup: Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan (replacing Pakistan & Oman, who withdrew)
• Pakistan is not participating in this tournament, citing security concerns

Pools:

• Pool A: India, Japan, China, Kazakhstan
• Pool B: South Korea, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Chinese Taipei

The top two from each pool progress to the Super 4s, leading to semifinals and finals.

Early Highlights

After 3 days of the championship, each team played two matches and—

• India topped Pool A to secure a place in the Super 4s after beating China (4-3) and Japan (3-2).
• Malaysia topped Pool B and also secured a place in the Super 4s.
• South Korea, China, Japan, and Bangladesh, all with 1 win and 1 loss, are also impressing with their performances.

Strong Contenders in 2025

• India is a clear favorite team because they are ranked number one in Asia, won a bronze medal at the Olympics, and are playing at home. To get back to the top, the coach and former players stress the importance of attention and discipline.
• The defending champions and five-time winners, South Korea, have a lot of experience.
• Malaysia and Japan are strong enough to beat bigger teams.
• China is an emerging power showing grit in its narrow loss to India.

Conclusion

The Men’s Asia Cup Hockey 2025 is more than just a trophy hunt; it’s a chance to get to the 2026 Hockey World Cup and a place for new players to show what they can do. This time around, nations like Bangladesh and Kazakhstan have a chance to flourish because Pakistan, a longtime powerhouse, is not there.

Rajgir’s hosting shows that hockey is popular outside of big cities, which is a sign of a new era in Indian sports leadership.