New Delhi: The 2018 hockey Champions Trophy for men would kick off with a bang with arch-rivals India and Pakistan battling each other in the competition which would be held from July 23-July 1 in Breda, in the Netherlands.
The tournament will see the top six teams in men’s hockey participate. The opening day of the Champions Trophy would see three blockbuster matches- hosts Netherlands would take on 2016 Olympic champions Argentina; defending champions Australia would face Rio Olympics silver medalists Belgium while India would lock horns against three time champions Pakistan.
Australia, Argentina and hosts Netherlands had earlier qualified for the Champions Trophy while India, Pakistan and Belgium were handed invitations from the FIH Executive Board.
This competition is one of the last opportunities for these teams to go up against each other before the hockey men’s World Cup scheduled to be held from November 28 to December 16 this year.
Here is the schedule of the Champions Trophy:
June 23: India vs Pakistan; Netherlands vs Argentina; Australia vs Belgium
June 24: India vs Argentina; Netherlands vs Belgium; Australia vs Pakistan
June 26: Argentina vs Belgium; Netherlands vs Pakistan
June 27: India vs Australia
June 28: Argentina vs Pakistan; India vs Belgium; Netherlands vs Australia
June 29: Belgium vs Pakistan
June 30: Argentina vs Australia; Netherlands vs India
July 1: 5th/6th place; 3rd/4th place; Final