India Opens Hockey Asia Cup in Rajgir as Pakistan Boosts Team Funding

India will host the Men’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025 in Rajgir, Bihar, with the tournament set to open on 29 August, coinciding with National Sports Day and the birth anniversary of hockey legend Major Dhyan Chand. The event marks the first major international hockey competition to be staged in the historic city. Indian internationals Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh and Rajinder Singh Jr said the squad has refined its tactics after a recent tour of Australia and is spending extra time on the newly laid Rajgir pitch to familiarise itself with local conditions. “We have worked on all the room for error and are ready,” Hardik Singh said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended his best wishes to all teams, officials and supporters ahead of the tournament, underscoring the government’s efforts to promote sports nationwide. Separately, former Pakistan forward Rehan Butt welcomed the federal government’s decision to allocate PKR 250 million for the national side’s participation in the upcoming FIH Pro League, calling the funding and the opportunity to play regular top-level matches an important step for reviving hockey in Pakistan.