SportsPosted at: Sep 15 2026 5:47PM


Road to LA28: Continental Glory & Olympic Qualification on Line at 20th Asian Games

Nagoya, Sep 15 (UNI) With the countdown underway for the hockey competitions at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026, the stakes extend far beyond the continental podium.
Held in Gifu, Japan, the tournament serves as the primary gateway to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028.

For every team taking the field, finishing positions will directly determine their Olympic trajectory.
While the champions earn the ultimate prize, an immediate, direct ticket to LA28, the event also provides critical qualifying berths for the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers.
Outside of the tournament winners, the top-six men’s teams and the top-four women’s teams will secure qualification spots for the 2028 FIH Olympic Qualification Tournaments, keeping their dreams of reaching Los Angeles alive.
Both the men’s and women’s events will follow a standard two-phase structure:

Preliminary Pool Stage: Teams are divided into two round-robin pools (six teams per pool).
Teams play each opponent in their group once, with points awarded for wins and draws.

Knockout and Classification Matches:

The top two teams from each pool advance to the semi-finals, followed by the medal matches (Gold and Bronze).

Teams finishing outside the semi-final berths contest targeted classification crossovers and placement matches to determine final rankings, with critical fixtures determining the remaining quotas for the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers.
A total of 24 teams across 15 National Olympic Committees will contest the competition:

Men’s Competition:

Pool A: India, Japan (Host), Korea, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Indonesia
Pool B: Pakistan, Malaysia, China, Oman, Uzbekistan, Thailand

Women’s Competition

Pool A: China, Korea, Malaysia, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, Bangladesh
Pool B: India, Japan (Host), Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Uzbekistan
The qualification stakes are clear and consequential across both competitions. The gold medalists in both tournaments secure direct entry to the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028. Beyond the champions, the next top-six finishers in the men’s competition and the top-four finishers in the women’s event earn coveted spots at the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers, sending a total of seven men’s and five women’s sides forward on the pathway to LA28.
The winning men’s and women’s teams from the Asian Games will become the third teams to qualify for LA28. USA men and women have already secured Olympic qualification as hosts of the event.
Additionally, Belgium men and Netherlands women also secured their qualification earlier this year as champions of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2025/26 season.
UNI BM
Tags: #Road to LA28: Continental Glory & Olympic Qualification on Line at 20th Asian Games
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