The next two months will be the most important period for the Indian hockey team until the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. With the World Cup (August 15-30) and Asian Games (September 19-October 4) slated together, Harmanpreet Singh and Co are in for a hectic and tough time.
Key Factors
He is not just eyeing India’s first World Cup medal in 51 years but is also aiming to maintain India’s status as the undisputed No.1 in Asia. Because then you take points through to the second round, if you can’t, at least try and draw. But at the helm, chief coach Craig Fulton will be the one controlling the entire show. Belgium (the hosts) really wanted to change the format to avoid the quarter-final stage, which presents a different challenge. You have to really do well in your initial pool so the points you take through are really important if you can top your own group. You don’t play that opposition that you go through with but you keep those points and then you play the other top two teams in the other pool that you go into. It’s different but it’s the same in a sense that you’re playing a World Cup where you’ve got to play your best hockey when it counts and it’s results based for you to try and get into, one, into the second round and, two, into the top four.
