Now Reading: India men, women aim high at joint FIH Hockey World Cup
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India men, women aim high at joint FIH Hockey World Cup
India's men's hockey team, captained by Harmanpreet Singh, opens its World Cup campaign against Wales on Independence Day, aiming to end a 51-year medal drought. The eight-time Olympic champions last won the…
The Story in Brief
India's men's hockey team, captained by Harmanpreet Singh, opens its World Cup campaign against Wales on Independence Day, aiming to end a 51-year medal drought. The eight-time Olympic champions last won the World Cup in 1975. Under coach Craig Fulton, the team won Asian Games gold in 2023, Olympic bronze in 2024, and the Asia Cup in 2025. The squad has regrouped after controversies including the omission of most-capped player Manpreet Singh and a jersey change.
The women's team, led by Salima Tete and coached by Sjoerd Marijne, opens against Olympic silver medallist China on August 16. Both tournaments are co-hosted by Belgium and Netherlands. India women, ranked ninth, target a better finish than 2022's ninth place.
The Indian Opinion
The familiar narrative of a hockey resurgence ignores persistent issues: the men's team finished eighth in the Pro League despite beating Germany and Netherlands. The ouster of Manpreet Singh and the jersey controversy signal deeper troubles. For all the talent, consistency remains elusive. The real test will be how India performs against England and Pakistan in the pool stage, not the easy opener against Wales.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
