Hockey was first included in the Asian Games in 1958 and it has been part of this multisport extravaganza since then. In 1982, the Asia Cup was launched. Both are quadrennial events. Hence, the need of an annual tournament was felt in order to raise the standard of the sport in the continent. In 2011, the Asian Hockey Federation introduced a yearly event, the Asian Champions Trophy, for the top six Asian hockey nations.

The first three editions were held regularly from 2011-13.

In the inaugural edition of 2011, all the top six nations participated. Next year, South Korea, among top three for a long time, absented. It got worse in 2013. South Korea were again missing and India sent virtually their under 21 team. The Indian squad included as many as 13 players from the junior squad. The management openly declared that they were using the Asian Champions Trophy only to prepare the players for the Junior World Cup to be held in India a month later. The team captain Manpreet Singh was also a junior boy. Even the coaching staff was that of the junior squad led by Greg Clarke, the head coach of the Indian junior team.

Terry Walsh, the chief coach of India’s national senior side, had not even accompanied the team. It is pertinent to mention that only Pakistan, Korea and India have ever won the Asian Games, Asia Cup and Asian Champions Trophy.

This decreased interest of leading hockey nations of the continent was probably the main reason that the Asian Champions Trophy wasn’t held in 2014 and 2015.

But the event got a new lease of life by FIH’s decision in April 2016 to approve the issuing of ranking points for the Asian Champions Trophy. Previously, the ACT carried no FIH ranking points. This has definitely raised the profile of the tournament.

The FIH states, "The continental rankings for Asia will be calculated across a four-year cycle, taking into account the results of Asian Games, Asia Cup and Asian Champions Trophies held during that time."

This also means that the Asian Champions Trophy will not only be part of the system that determines continental ranking but will also be included in the Qualification Systems for the future Olympic Games and World Cups.

The above development has had an immediate impact. The 2016 Asian Champions Trophy starting from October 20 in the Malaysian city of Kuantan will feature all the top six sides of the region with each of them fielding more or less the first-choice team.

The enhanced status has led to another positive development. The ACT has got a title sponsor for the first time since its inception six years ago.

Global Direct Selling Company, QNET will be the title sponsor for the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy.

Pakistan have been the most successful in the short history of the Asian Champions Trophy. They have been the winners twice and runners-up once.

Pakistan’s head coach Khawaja Junaid speaks about his team’s preparation: "This is quite an inexperienced squad. Around eight players have been part of the senior team for less than a year. I am also missing a couple of junior players who are with the under 21 team preparing for the Junior World Cup in December.

"Sultan Azlan Shah Cup was my first assignment and I had just two weeks for preparation. There, the team played without any structure; more of individual play. A lot of hard work has been put in this time. I hope at the ACT, the boys play according to the structure -- everyone plays his specific role in various situations."

Pakistan’s captain M Irfan Senior recently returned from Malaysia with sweet memories. He, along with many compatriots, has been featuring in the Malaysian Hockey League. Only a few weeks back, Irfan’s club Terrengganu HT won the MHL’s premier league. Four other members of the Pakistan team announced for the 2016 ACT appeared in the MHL’s recently- concluded season.

Ali Shan, Umar Bhutta and Haseem Khan played for the third-placed Kaula Lampur HC.

Tauseeq Arshad’s UniKL HC finished fifth. Incidentally, Tauseeq Arshad was declared the ‘Player of Tournament’ at the last Asian Champions Trophy in 2013.

2016 ACT:

The six teams will first compete in a round robin format. The top four teams will play the semi-finals.

Pakistan’s matches: October 20 vs Malaysia, October 21 vs South Korea, October 23 vs India, October 25 vs Japan,October 27 vs China.

Semi-finals on October 29.

Final on October 30.