RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Indonesian Men’s National Hockey Field team is accelerating its preparations for the Nagoya 2026 Asian Games qualifiers after a podium finish at a prestigious invitational in China.

Under the guidance of head coach Muhammad Dhaarma Raj, the "Garuda" squad is undergoing an intensive regimen of national training camps (Pelatnas) and international trials to sharpen their competitive edge.

The team recently competed in the "Belt and Road" Mass Sports Series & Hangzhou Gongshu International Hockey Invitational Tournament 2026, held from March 9–23. Indonesia secured third place in the tournament, recording two notable victories: a 4-3 win over Liaoning and a 3-2 triumph over Gongshu.

Despite the top three finish, Coach Dhaarma Raj remains focused on refining the team's tactics before the high-stakes qualifiers in Thailand next month.

“The boys' performance has not been maximized. We will continue to evaluate to further mature their performance when appearing in the 2026 Asian Games qualifying round,” said Dhaarma on Monday, March 23, 2026.

The qualification round is scheduled to take place in Thailand from April 2–10, 2026. Indonesia has been drawn into Group A, where they will face formidable opponents including Oman, Hong Kong, Kazakhstan, and the host nation, Thailand.

Following their stint in China, the men’s team is heading to Malaysia to reunite with the Women’s National Hockey Field team on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. Together, they will face a grueling series of matches against Malaysia's elite hockey clubs to test their stamina and strategy.

The upcoming match schedule for the Indonesian squad in Malaysia is as follows:

Indonesia vs. Maybank – Wednesday, March 25, 2026; Indonesia vs. THT – Friday, March 27, 2026; Indonesia vs. TNB – Monday, March 30, 2026

The coaching staff views these matches against top-tier Malaysian clubs like UITM and TNB as the final "polishing" phase to ensure both the men's and women's teams are battle-ready for the continental stage. (Naura Sofia/Bambang MBKA)