# India Targets Hockey World Cup Progress Amid Tactical and Officiating Gaps 2026-08-06T18:06:42+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet India will enter the men’s Hockey World Cup on August 15 with a revised focus on fitness and man-to-man play, after struggling against European-style marking in the FIH Pro League. Vice-captain Hardik Singh said the team’s zonal defence remains strong but needs better physical conditioning and one-on-one defending. India lost all four home-leg matches in Rourkela before improving against Germany, the Netherlands and England. The World Cup pool includes England, Wales and Pakistan, with the Netherlands a possible later opponent. The tournament will also mark India’s first absence from the officials’ panel since 1998, with no Indian umpire or technical official selected. Former umpires cited limited international exposure, weak career planning and financial insecurity. India has produced four men’s World Cup umpires in the modern era. ## Coverage - hindustantimes.com - indiatoday.in Tags: FIH Pro League, Hardik Singh, hockey, Indian team, World Cup Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/india-targets-man-to-man-hockey-before-world-cup/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/india-targets-man-to-man-hockey-before-world-cup/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.