Hockey India has announced that entry for all matches at the men’s Asia Cup in Rajgir, Bihar will be free. The tournament will be played from August 29 to September 7. HI president Dilip Tirkey said that the decision has been taken to make the sport “more accessible and to encourage families, students, and young athletes to come and witness world-class hockey”.
“This is not just a tournament, it is a celebration of the game, and the people of Bihar and beyond deserve to be at the heart of it,” the former India captain said in an HI statement. The federation further said in its statement that fans can register for their free tickets by visiting http://www.ticketgenie.in or Hockey India app, where they will receive a virtual ticket upon completion of the process.
World Cup spot at stake
The 12th edition of the tournament also serves as a qualifier for the 2026 Hockey World Cup set to happen in Belgium and the Netherlands. Eight teams are set to participate in the competition. Originally, Pakistan and Oman were slated to feature but withdrew, leading to the two sides being replaced by Bangladesh and Kazakhstan.
The winner of the men’s competition will earn a coveted spot at the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026. Six teams have now qualified for the World Cup. Belgium and Netherlands, on account of being hosts of the event, gained direct qualification. Australia and Spain qualified through the previous two editions of the FIH Hockey Pro League. Argentina secured qualification through the Pan American Cup and Germany qualified from the Eurohockey Championship. Along with Asia, continental championships in Africa and Oceania will determine three direct qualifiers for the event, with the remaining seven teams qualifying through the FIH Hockey World Cup Qualifiers in 2026.
The tournament will feature 8 teams, split into Pool A & B. The top two from each pool will advance to a Super 4s pool stage, where the teams will compete in a secondary pool and get ranked from one to four. The semi-finals line-up will be decided on the basis of the secondary pool results, while the bottom two teams from the initial pool stage will play for classifications and world ranking points.
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