LAHORE: The countdown to the much-awaited Men’s Asia Cup Hockey Tournament is finally over with the coveted event starting on Tuesday (today) October 11 at the Maulana Bhashani National Stadium in Dhaka, Bangladesh. While the participating teams have descended in the capital city, hockey lovers from across Bangladesh as well as other parts of Asia will be present in large numbers to cheer for their favorite hockey stars. The opening matches of the tournament between India and Japan, Pakistan and Bangladesh today will unfold a slug-fest with teams battling it out to lift the prestigious title that will elevate the winning team to No.1 position in Asia. While top ranked team in the competition India will play for pride and aim to retain their No.1 status, teams such as China, Korea, Japan, Bangladesh and Oman will battle it out to earn a berth for World Cup 2018 in Bhubaneswar, India. Though India have qualified for the World Cup as host country, Malaysia and Pakistan won the ticket to the World Cup by finishing 5th and 7th respectively in the Hockey World League earlier this year in London. Tayyab Ikram, the Chief Executive of the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF), Member of the IOC Commission, on Monday hoped the tournament opened the door of new opportunities for hockey. “We have been waiting for a long time to see Dhaka step into the modern hockey arena, this edition of Asia Cup 2017 is a special one with the Asian Hockey Federation extending all the support behind it, I thank all the involved stakeholders and Bangladesh government for hosting the meet, I hope Asia Cup 2017 will produce a brilliant level of hockey,” added the AHF Chief Executive. That this prestigious event returns to Dhaka after 32 years calls for jubilation with hosts Bangladesh Hockey Federation supported by event sponsors Hero MotoCorp, Indian motor cycle and scooter manufacturing giant, leaving no stone unturned in their preparations to make this year’s Asia Cup a grand success. “It is a momentous occasion for us as the Asia Cup 2017 is being hosted in our country after a span of 32 years. This event will not only bring hockey lovers from across Bangladesh to watch best teams compete for top honours but those traveling for the event to Dhaka will get to witness the warm hospitality of the people of Bangladesh and will also get a chance to soak up our culture,” expressed an elated Abdus Sadeque, the General Secretary of Bangladesh Hockey Federation. “I always believe that hockey has a special place in Bangladesh, with all the modern facilitates like the newly installed floodlights the Asia Cup 2017 is the platform from where we can look and jump forward,” added Sadeque. Four-time Asia Cup winners and the defending champions Korea will remain tough contenders for the title with their coach sounding off a caution to other teams as they arrive in Dhaka with an eye on the World Cup Qualification. India, on the other hand, will watch out for Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan and hosts Bangladesh who have the ability to spring a surprise on any given day. For some of the participating teams, the Asia Cup 2017 is not just about winning but also finding the right balance in the team and find out new ways to improvise in this new Olympic cycle. The AHF is the governing body for the sport of hockey in Asia, recognised by the International Hockey Federation (FIH). Founded in 1958, the AHF today has 31member national associations and organises and sanctions more than twenty types of continental and regional events across all levels and age groups as well as overseeing the hockey competitions in several multi-sport events such as the Asian Games. Schedule: Oct 11: India v Japan, Pakistan v Bangladesh Oct 12: Malaysia v China, South Korea v Oman Oct 13: Japan v Pakistan, India v Bangladesh Oct 14: China v Oman, South Korea v Malaysia Oct 15: Japan v Bangladesh, Pakistan v India Oct 16: Malaysia v Oman, China v South Korea Oct 17: Rest Day Oct 18: Classification matches Oct 19: Classification matches Oct 20: Classification matches Oct 21: Classification matches Oct 22: Play off for 3rd-4th position, final. Published in Daily Times, October 10th 2017.