Mumbai : India have entered both the men's and women's team events in the volleyball competition of the 17th Asian Games to be held in Incheon, South Korea, next month.
While the men's team is grouped with Hong Kong, Maldives and 2010 silver medallists Iran in Group C, the women are drawn to play against hosts South Korea - silver medal winners four years ago - Japan and Thailand in Group A.
The men had made it to the quarter-finals in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou before losing to Thailand. The women had finished 9th out of 11 teams, just above Maldives and Tajikistan.
Indian men spikers have won three medals, two bronze and a silver, previously in the Asian Games, while the women have drawn a blank. Indian men clinched the bronze in the 1958 Asian Games in Tokyo, where volleyball made its debut, and then improved it to a silver finish four years later at Jakarta - losing to
then Asian powerhouse Japan in the final.
The last Asian Games medal - a bronze - was grabbed by the men in 1986 at Seoul, South Korea.
India's preliminary group matches schedule:
Men:
Sept 20: v Hong Kong
Sept 24: v Maldives
Sept 26: v Iran
Women:
Sept 20: v South Korea
Sept 22: v Japan
Sept 24: v Thailand.
