The much-awaited Asian Champions Trophy is all set to begin in Indian city of Chennai today as Pakistani team finally reached the venue on Thursday.

Radhakrishnan Stadium of Chennai will see the return of international hockey for the first time in 16 years. Defending champions South Korea will kickstart action for the day. They will face Japan in the opening game of the tournament that is scheduled to begin at 4 PM local time.

Hosts India meanwhile will begin action later in the night against China at 8.30 PM. Malaysia will take on Pakistan before this encounter.

Japan meanwhile is the second-lowest ranked team in the tournament. The World No.19 side lost in the penalty shootout against South Korea in the final during the last edition and are eyeing a revenge. Recently both the teams played four friendly matches and Korea won all the games.

Pakistan meanwhile made their entry into the tournament after being granted the NOC at the last minute. This is Pakistan’s first visit to India after the 2018 World Cup.

Muhammad Umar Bhutta leads the relatively inexperienced side. As many as nine players in the side have played less than 10 international matches. The team looks to utilize this tournament ahead of the Asian Games. The greenshirts have a daunting task ahead as they face Malaysia first up in the tournament.

Once a heavyweight in the sport — eight Olympic medals and five World Cup titles — Pakistan’s fall from grace has been glaring and of catastrophic proportions.

It was absent from the Olympics in 2016 and 2020, and the World Cup in 2023.

There’s still light at the end of the tunnel. The side can bring this unceremonious streak to a halt by clinching gold at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou. The winner of the event seals a berth for the Paris Olympics. In Chennai, with the Asian Champions Trophy, Pakistan will set off on this quest.

With all six teams also competing at the Asian Games, the tournament is the perfect precursor to the showpiece event in China.

Pakistan will find out if it can survive the deep waters against higher-ranked India, South Korea and Malaysia. But the team’s run-up to the six-team tournament has been marred by lackluster performances and administrative disorder.

Pooled against Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and Scotland at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, the greenshirts secured just one win, and had to contend with a seventh-place finish.