LONDON: The World Cup, which starts on Saturday, promises to be a spectacle of unprecedented scale.
For Belgian hockey icon Arthur van Doren, the August 15-30 tournament is not just a quest for global supremacy, but a fascinating tactical battleground where traditional powerhouses and rising forces will collide. But in a World Cup, in a period where they catch fire for 4-5 games in a row, India will always be a very difficult competitor,” said the Belgian, who is a two-time FIH Player of the Year. With most of the 20-man roster experiencing a World Cup for the first time, van Doren is eager to see how this newly formed collective handles the immense pressure of a home tournament.
Because we are a little bit of a new team, and that same thing can be said about India, that’s something we struggle with sometimes. As teams prepare for the quadrennial showpiece, the defensive maestro has his eyes firmly set on competitors that could disrupt the established order, chief among them is the Indian hockey team. “It’s a team that can win literally from everybody. One of the most important things is consistency. The Harmanpreet Singh-led India has a well-documented reputation for rising to the occasion in tournaments of consequence. “I give them a lot of chances (at the World Cup). They’ve got a lot of quality, a lot of experience, if you look at their squad. But if you want to win a tournament that goes on for a little bit of a longer period and you want to get a result, consistency is key. Predicting which teams will navigate their way to the semis, the ace defender points to the fierce competitiveness of the modern game. At the top of his list, however, is a familiar rival. This fresh faced Belgian squad, which has already secured a ticket to the Los Angeles Olympics following their Pro League exploits, is brimming with youthful exuberance.
“India is always a team to be very cautious about,” van Doren, 31, told HT.
But their journey through the long Pro League season has historically showcased fluctuating periods of form.
