Competing against the top teams of the world in the Punjab Gold Cup International hockey will prepare India for major international events ahead, said captain Sandeep Singh.
Besides India, which is ranked at a lowly 11th position in the world, Olympic champions Germany, European champions Holland and New Zealand, world ranked 7th, are participating in the tournament from January 31-February 9.
India have a host of international tournaments lined up this year, including the Azlan Shah and Asia Cup hockey.
New captain Sandeep Singh and coach Harendra Singh said on Tuesday the tournament will be a big test for them with the 2010 World Cup and the Commonwealth Games not too far away.
"This tournament will go a long way in preparing our boys for major events in 2010," captain Sandeep Singh said.
Harendra is upbeat about the team's performance after drawing the four-test away series against Argentina 2-2 at home.
"Though we lost the last two matches to Argentina, we have identified our shortcomings and will try to overcome them. This tournament will give us the right exposure in preparing for next year," he said.