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No Indian official at Hockey World Cup for first time in 28 years
For the first time since 1998, India will have no umpire or technical official at the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, which starts on August 15 in the Netherlands and Belgium. European…
The Story in Brief
For the first time since 1998, India will have no umpire or technical official at the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, which starts on August 15 in the Netherlands and Belgium. European countries dominate the officials' panel. India has produced only four men's World Cup umpires in the modern era: Amarjit Singh Bawa, Tarlok Singh Bhullar, Satinder Sharma, and RV Raghu Prasad, who retired last year as the first Asian to officiate in 200 international matches.
The former umpires say the lack of international exposure, financial insecurity, and the absence of a structured pathway are to blame. Hockey India lists over 100 men's umpires and 70 women's umpires domestically, but only six Indian men and four women are on the FIH umpiring panel. Satinder Sharma said Indian umpires need more chances to officiate in top tournaments to bridge the gap.
The Indian Opinion
The absence of an Indian umpire at the World Cup is disappointing, but the selection is based on consistent performance at the highest level, not sentiment. The real failure is structural: over 100 domestic umpires but only a handful on the FIH panel, and those who reach the top face poor pay and no job security. The test to watch is whether Hockey India can get even one umpire into the next Pro League cycle, the only route to sustained international exposure.
Sources (2): timesofindia.indiatimes.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
