Patna. The wait is over as the 10 -day Hero Men Asia Hockey Cup 2025 is going to start “National Sports Day” on the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyanchand in Rajgir, Bihar from yesterday. This is the 12th edition of the Hockey Asia Cup with eight top Asian countries – India, Japan, China, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Korea, Bangladesh and Chinese Taipei. All teams have reached Rajgir where they will compete for the Asia Cup 2025. Adequate facilities and security arrangements have been made for the players stay in various hotels in Rajgir, while members of the Indian hockey team will stay in the sports complex.

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All matches will be played at the International Sports Complex in Rajgir from tomorrow i.e. August 29 and will end on September 7, 2025. The event is important because it acts as a qualifier for the 2026 FIH Hockey World Cup, which has made each game more intensive and important.

Among 11 editions, defending winner Korea won 5 times Asia Cup

Director General of Bihar State Sports Authority-cum-CEO Ravindran Shankaran said, “This is the first time that the men’s Asia Hockey Cup is being held in Rajgir, Bihar. This is the 12th edition of the Asia Cup in which eight teams are participating.”

He said that out of the 11 editions held so far, defending winner is the most successful team to participate in the South Korea Men Asia Cup, as it has won the title five times in 1994, 1999, 2009, 2013 and 2022, while hosts India won the cup in 2003, 2007 and 2017 and Pakistan also won the title three times in 1982, 1985 and 1989. To draw hockey fans to watch the match at the stadium, Hockey India has already announced that admission to all the Asia Cup matches in Rajgir will be free.

Free tickets to watch hockey matches

Fan www.ticalgenie.in Or you can register for your free ticket by visiting Hockey India app, where they will get a virtual ticket when the process is completed. These arrangements have been made to avoid any congestion at the venue and enjoy the thrill of world -class hockey without any expense, making the game more accessible than ever.

A total of 24 matches will be played; Four matches will be played on the first day on August 29.

Host India is placed in Pool A with Japan, China and Kazakhstan. He will start his campaign against China on August 29, followed by his last pool match against Japan on 31 August and Kazakhstan on 1 September. In Pool A, in addition to India-China matches, Japan and Kazakhstan will also clash on the first day. Whereas, Pool B contains 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.

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“Trophy Gaurav Yatra” has been taken out in various districts of Bihar and various states of the country with the aim of spreading the message of hockey to the people. The yatra will end by reaching Rajgir on August 29. A total of 24 matches will be played by the final match to be held on September 7, 2025.

Men’s Hockey Asia Cup hosting in Bihar, proud talk

Describing the host of Hero Asia Cup 2025 as proud for Bihar, Shankaran said that “This (Asia Cup host) will not only showcase the state’s ability to host international sports events, but will also strengthen Bihar’s global image in the field of tourism, art and culture.” Shankaran said, “The world class hockey stadium of Rajgir Sports Complex will make the event even more grand. Hero Asia Cup 2025 is historic for Bihar, which will place the state on a global stage in the field of sports, culture and tourism.”

Major sports events organized by Bihar

The Sports Complex in Rajgir has given Bihar a new identity in the field of sports at the national and international level as the state has already successfully organized several tournaments/championships, such as the Women’s Asian Hockey Champions Trophy in November 2024, which was attended by six teams – India, Malaysia, Japan, China, Thailand and Korea. In May this year (2025), Khelo India Youth Games were held in five cities including Rajgir, where major events were held. The Capak Conflict World Cup 2025 was held at Pataliputra Sports Complex in Patna.