At Chennai's Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium on Thursday, Bomman, the mascot for the Asian Champions Trophy 2023, was unveiled. The Oscar-winning documentary "The Elephant Whisperers," which follows the tale of Bomman and Bellie, an Indian couple who take care of orphaned elephants in the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve in Tamil Nadu, served as the inspiration for the mascot.
The majestic Asian elephant, adored across the continent for its strength, intellect, and teamwork, is represented by the official mascot Bomman as these traits mirror the essential traits that hockey players should have. The mascot's outfit is a striking combination of yellow and red colours that stand for optimism, passion, joy, tenacity, and success.
The mascot was unveiled by Dilip Tirkey, President of Hockey India, along with Udhayanidhi Stalin, Minister for Youth Welfare and Sports Development of Tamil Nadu, as well as other well-known Olympians from the region. Stalin expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to introduce the event's mascot, Bomman, and expressed the hope that doing so would raise awareness of Bomman and Bellie's role in wildlife conservation among those competing and the general public.
Since 2011, the Asian Hockey Federation has hosted the annual Asian Champions Trophy hockey competition. Held in a round-robin style, it involves the top six teams from Asia. With three titles each, India and Pakistan are the two most successful teams in the tournament's history. The current champions are South Korea, who defeated Japan in a penalty shootout for their first title in 2021.
The competition's 2023 edition will be held in Chennai from August 3 to August 12. The Indian men's hockey squad will use the competition as a warm-up for the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, in September–October.
