Malaysian hockey coach Arul Anthoni might be bemused by the Asian Champions Trophy (ACT) being held so close to the Asian Games, but India head coach Craig Fulton on Tuesday said it remains an important event to fine-tune the preparations for the quadrennial continental showpiece.

The Asian Champions Trophy will conclude on August 12, a little over five weeks before the Asian Games commences in Hangzhou, China, raising questions over the timing of the event in Chennai. “It’s something that you have to do. But we need the games. So, it’s important that we play it. It’s even better that it’s in India,” Fulton told reporters.