Now Reading: Mandeep Singh one medal short as he enters fourth Hockey World Cup
-
01
Mandeep Singh one medal short as he enters fourth Hockey World Cup
Indian hockey forward Mandeep Singh, 31, will become the youngest Indian to play four Hockey World Cups when the team opens its campaign against the Netherlands at Wagener Stadium on August 15.…
The Story in Brief
Indian hockey forward Mandeep Singh, 31, will become the youngest Indian to play four Hockey World Cups when the team opens its campaign against the Netherlands at Wagener Stadium on August 15. Despite medals from the Olympics, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, and Asia Cups, he has never won a World Cup medal in three previous attempts. "It's just been participation so far," Mandeep told Sportstar and The Hindu, quoting his father's words: "You are still one short." India's last World Cup medal was a bronze in 1975. Mandeep has 125 goals in 288 international appearances.
The Indian Opinion
The talk of Mandeep Singh's 'one short' cabinet is touching but hides a harder truth: India's 51-year World Cup medal drought is not just about individual desire. The same squad that won Olympic bronze in Paris and Tokyo has repeatedly faltered at the World Cup. That gap is about tournament temperament, not talent. The real test starts August 15 against the Netherlands. If India's attack, led by Mandeep, cannot convert circle entries into goals in the knockout stages, all the motivation in the world will not fill that cabinet.
Sources (2): sportstar.thehindu.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
