Indian men will begin quest for their maiden Champions Trophy hockey title in Bhubaneswar when the tournament kicks off on December 6.
In the 36-year history of the tournament since 1978, India's best showing is a bronze medal in 1982. In fact, it was 20 years ago, in 1994, that an Asian team won the Champions Trophy - when Pakistan beat Germany (7-6) in the final via penalty shootout.
For the last 20 years, the Australians and the Europeans have had a stranglehold in the tournament, with the Aussies enjoying an overwhelming title-winning run in the last five editions.
This year, the Indian team, led by the inspirational Sardar Singh, has seen a welcome upswing with a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, gold at the Asian Games and a bilateral series win in Australia.
While that has lifted the hopes of the hosts, a last-minute controversial exit of coach Terry Walsh has sparked speculation whether the team will be able to cope with that shift.
Hockey India's High Performance Director Roelant Oltmans has been asked to handle the team in Bhubaneswar and the Dutchman is not a stranger to winning trophies.
Here's a look at the eight teams in the fray.
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