Knowing the importance of the event, Indian chief coach Joaquim Carvalho is wary of the challenge but confident about India's chances of doing well in the tournament.
"We are taking the first match against China very seriously," said Carvalho after the Indians had a two-hour training session early in the morning.
"The first match against China is crucial for us and we are being very serious. There will be a lot less pressure later if we win the match against China. There is nothing like getting three points in the first match. We are well prepared and the aim is to win the tournament."
"The Chinese are fast and can switch the ball from flank to flank. We are aware of that and will give it our best. But in international hockey, all teams are capable of posting upset wins. Belgium beat Germany and Canada beat Argentina recently and Germany have to play the Olympic qualifiers. So one can never say," he added.
Asked about the form of the players and the humid weather conditions here, Carvalho said: "It is important for the players too. They have to perform. They will, as they are fit and in good nick. The climate will not really make much difference since the players have played in such climes. It is a little wet but playing in home conditions will be good."
Carvalho felt India should exploit China’s weak defence. "The Chinese defence is a little weak. We have players who can beat them in a one-on-one situation."
Indian skipper Prabodh Tirkey too was optimistic. "We have had good practice in the 11 days that we have been here. We have been particularly working on re-tackling and penalty corners," he said. "Due to the humidity, we may make substitutions sooner to preserve players. However, they are very capable of playing 70 minutes.
"China is a good team and we will give it our best shot. A win against China will make things easier for us in the rest of the tournament," he added.