Hockey Asian Champions Trophy 2023: Full List of Captains and Key Players of all Six Teams

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The Hockey Asian Champions Trophy will be taking centre stage at Chennai's Mayor Radhakrishnan Stadium from Thursday (August 3).

Six top Asian sides will lock horns for continental glory in the 7th edition of the tournament, which is being hosted by India for the very first time. Along with hosts India - China, Pakistan, Malaysia, Japan and South Korea are taking part in the tournament.

The teams have already arrived in Chennai and South Korea will play Japan to kickstart the tournament on Thursday in the first match of the day. India are also facing China on the first day while Pakistan take on Malaysia.

In this article, we will take a look at the Six captains of the Six nations, who will lead their country and try and win this prestigious competition. From India's Harmanpreet Singh to China's Du Chen, let's have a look at all the captains and key players of each team-

China

Captain: Weibao Ao

Weibao Ao may well be the captain of the China men's hockey team. The 32-year-old has played 109 matches for his country and will be leading them in the Asian Champions Trophy. He is known for his versatility and leadership skills on the field.

Other Key Players

Some other key players for China are Du Talake, Xiaoping Guo, Weibao Ao. Weibao is also the most experienced player of the Chinese team with 109 official appearances for China.

Japan

Captain: Seren Tanaka

Seren Tanaka is the Japan team's captain and the experienced midfielder will be leading his team in the Asian Champions Trophy.

Tanaka, who won the Gold medal in 2018 Asian Games, has played 139 matches for his country and has netted 11 times for the Samurai Japan. He plays for Gifu Asahi Club in Japan.

Other Key Players

Kentaro Fakuda is an experienced forward. Also Koji Yamasaki, Shota Yamada will be the key players for Japan in the tournament. Young midfielder Masato Kobayashi is also someone to keep an eye on.

Malaysia

Captain: Marhan Jalil

Muhammad Marhan Jalil is the captain of the Malaysia team. The experienced midfielder has played 284 matches for his country and is one of the most coveted players for Malaysia.

Jalil plays for Kuala Terengganu in club hockey and played six matches in the Hockey World Cup earlier this year.

Other Key Players

Forward Faizal Saari, defender Razie Rahim will be the key components for Malaysia in this tournament.

Pakistan

Captain: Muhammad Umar Bhutta

Pakistan will be captained by their seasoned campaigned Muhammed Umar Bhutta. The 30-year-old has played 170 matches for his country and has netted 30 goals. He is one of the forces of the Pakistani side and is going to be the man who drives them forward in the Asian Champions Trophy.

Other Key Players

Pakistan have come with a pretty young squad. But the likes of Murtaza Muhammad, Hussain Akmal will be the key players for them.

South Korea

Captain: Lee Nam-Yong

Lee Nam-Yong is the oldest captain in the Asian Champions Trophy this year. The 39-year-old will lead the South Korean side in the tournament. He has played 300 matches in his career, with 50 goals scored in those.

The Seoul-born player was part of Korea's Gold medal-winning team back in the Asian Games 2002. He led Korea to Asia Cup victories in 2009 and 2013.

Other Key Players

Jang Jong-Hyun, Jung Man-jae, Lee Seung-Hoon are some of the other key players for the South Korean side.

India

Captain: Harmanpreet Singh

Harmanpreet Singh will lead India in the Asian Champions Trophy. The 27-year-old defender has scored 142 goals for India in 180 appearances. Singh is one of the top players for the Men in Blue.

The Amritsar-born player made his debut back in 2015 and has been an integral part of the squad in recent years.

Other Key Players

Amit Rohidas, Manpreet Singh, Mandeep Singh are the other key players for the Indian team. Among youngsters, forward Selvam Karthi and defender Sanjeev will be the players to keep a close eye on.