India, Sept. 15 -- As the Indian men's hockey team touched down in Japan last week to defend their Asian Games title, it would have filled the players with confidence after the recent disappointment of an eighth-place finish in the World Cup.

Less than three weeks after that gruelling campaign in Netherlands and Belgium, Harmanpreet Singh and Co find themselves facing an excellent opportunity for redemption in the continental competition at Aichi-Nagoya.

The hockey action set to unfold in Kakamigahara presents South African coach Craig Fulton's India a defining mission-defend their Games title for the first time ever and punch an early ticket to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

For all of India's dominance in Asia in the past few years-t...