KUALA LUMPUR: Can the Speedy Tigers topple defending champions and hosts India at the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT), which begins tomorrow in Jalandhar, Punjab?
Based on recent results, however, it will be a tall order for Malaysia against world No. 8 India, who have dominated regional opposition in recent years.
Malaysia have not beaten India since their penalty shoot-out semi-final victory at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang.
National coach Brendon Carolan's side last met India in the final of the recent Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, suffering a 5-1 defeat.
For the record, the Speedy Tigers have never won a continental title.
Their best Asian Games outings were runners-up finishes in Guangzhou (2010), Jakarta-Palembang (2018), and Aichi-Nagoya (2026).
They also finished runners-up twice in the Asia Cup, in Dhaka (2017) and Jakarta (2022).
At the ACT, Malaysia's best performance was finishing runners-up to India in Chennai in 2023.
India enter the tournament bidding for a third consecutive ACT title after triumphs in Chennai (2023) and Inner Mongolia (2024).
Their continental dominance is underpinned by comprehensive development programmes and the financial resources to hire quality coaches for their senior and junior teams.
On the world stage, India ended a 40-year Olympic medal drought by winning bronze at Tokyo 2020 before repeating the feat at Paris 2024.
India coach Craig Fulton has retained 15 players from their Asian Games gold medal-winning squad, including Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh, and Shilanand Lakra.
Captain Harmanpreet Singh is also in the side, with the penalty-corner specialist expected to lead their title defence after scoring 311 goals in 277 international appearances since making his debut in 2015.
The six-nation tournament also features Japan, South Korea, China, and Bangladesh.
World No. 27 Bangladesh replaced world No. 12 Pakistan following the latter's withdrawal.
All six teams will play in a round-robin format, with the top four advancing to the semi-finals.
Tomorrow's fixtures (Oct 27): Malaysia v China (3.30pm), Japan v S. Korea (5.45pm), India v Bangladesh (9.30pm)
* All matches Malaysian time
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