The hockey competitions at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 will carry significance far beyond the continental podium, with the men’s and women’s champions earning direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
The hockey tournament will be held at the Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium, also known as the Kawasaki Heavy Industries Hockey Stadium, in Kakamigahara, Japan. The men’s competition is scheduled from September 18 to October 3, while the women’s tournament will run from September 18 to October 2.
With Olympic qualification on the line, the Asian Games will provide a crucial pathway to LA28 for teams across the continent. While the gold medallists will secure direct Olympic berths, the next six teams in the men’s competition and next four in the women’s competition will qualify for the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers.
The Asian Games champions will become the third men’s and women’s teams to qualify for LA28. The United States, as hosts, have already secured berths in both competitions, while Belgium men and the Netherlands women qualified earlier after winning the FIH Hockey Pro League 2025/26 season.
A total of 24 teams representing 15 National Olympic Committees will compete across the men’s and women’s tournaments.
In the men’s competition, defending Asian Games champions India have been placed in Pool A alongside hosts Japan, Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Indonesia. Pool B features Pakistan, Malaysia, China, Oman, Uzbekistan and Thailand.
The women’s competition will see China, Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei and Bangladesh compete in Pool A, while Pool B comprises India, Japan, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Uzbekistan.
Both competitions will begin with a preliminary pool stage, with the 12 teams in each tournament divided into two pools of six. Teams will play each other once in a round-robin format.
The top two teams from each pool will advance to the semi-finals, followed by the gold and bronze medal matches. The remaining teams will compete in classification and placement matches, with final positions carrying significant importance for the Olympic qualification pathway.
For the teams outside the medal positions, every classification match could therefore have a bearing on their LA28 ambitions. The top-six finishers in the men’s tournament and top-four in the women’s event, apart from the champions, will earn places in the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers.
The tournament consequently offers a double incentive for the leading Asian hockey nations — continental supremacy and a direct route to the Olympic Games.
