New Delhi, 15 September (H.S.): After finishing eighth in the recently concluded World Cup, the Indian men’s team will now enter the Asian Games with the objective of winning the gold medal. The women’s team, which finished fifth, will also aim for the top prize, hoping to overcome China and claim the gold. Winning the Asian Games gold medal will also open the route to direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The Indian men’s team, coached by Craig Fulton, has dominated Asian hockey for the past four years. Since 2023, India has won all major continental competitions, including two editions of the Asian Champions Trophy, the Asia Cup and the Asian Games, without suffering a single defeat during this period.

However, winning the Asian Games men’s hockey gold for a second consecutive time will not be easy. Since 2006, no team has managed to win the men’s hockey gold medal in two successive editions. India’s campaign in Kakamigahara will begin in less than a week, and following the disappointing World Cup showing, the tournament will be particularly important for Fulton and several senior members of the squad.

Several members of India’s defensive unit, including Amit Rohidas, Jarmanpreet Singh, Sumit, Jugraj Singh, Yashdeep Siwach, Sanjay Rana and Harmanpreet Singh, failed to perform at the expected level during the World Cup. India conceded 19 goals throughout the tournament, giving it the fifth-worst defensive record in the competition. India also conceded three goals against Pakistan.

Almost every department, from goalkeeping to the forward line, appeared to struggle. However, Harmanpreet Singh’s drag-flicks from penalty corners remained a major positive for India. Despite dealing with a back problem, his clinical finishing kept India in several matches on crucial occasions.

The next challenge will be for Harmanpreet’s success to be complemented by India’s forwards in open play. Since the 2023 Asian Games, Abhishek Nain has consistently made an impact and has scored 30 goals in 86 matches. Experienced forward Manpreet Singh, meanwhile, has scored 11 goals in 69 matches.

Fulton had expressed disappointment at the team’s inability to maintain the same level of performance across all four quarters. However, questions also remain over whether other Asian teams possess the ability to sustain a consistently high level throughout an entire match. With a ticket to the Los Angeles Olympics at stake, Fulton has prioritised experience in the squad. This is why Rajkumar Pal, who was also part of the team at the World Cup, has been included in place of Aditya Lalage.

India will have its preparations tested in the opening group-stage matches against hosts Japan and South Korea. A potential meeting with Pakistan or Malaysia could follow in the knockout stage.

In the women’s competition, India’s team under Sjoerd Marijne will enter the tournament determined to wrest Asian supremacy from China. After exceeding expectations by finishing fifth at the World Cup, the team’s confidence has received a boost. A balanced combination of young and experienced players has injected fresh energy into the side.

At the World Cup, India did not concede a goal against England and Australia, while it conceded only six goals in four matches against China, South Africa, the Netherlands and Germany. Of the six teams India faced, five were ranked higher than India.

Had India shown greater control and composure on the ball against Australia, it could have remained in contention for a semi-final berth. However, after entering the World Cup with a young squad featuring 11 debutants, the team will now look to use those experiences at the Asian Games.

Navneet Kaur and Deepika will be India’s biggest hopes for goals. Both can play an important role not only in field goals but also in penalty corners. The relatively less challenging group-stage matches will provide India’s other attacking players with opportunities to demonstrate their capabilities.

India has two strong goalkeeping options in Savita Punia and Bichu Devi. Both could play crucial roles in the medal rounds, particularly in a potential clash against China. In their opening World Cup encounter, India held China to a 2-2 draw, but the inexperience of the defensive unit led to China being awarded a penalty stroke following an error by Shilpi Das.

Target to end 44-year gold medal drought

Experienced midfielder Neha is confident that India can end its 44-year wait for an Asian Games gold medal this time. She said, “We have to win the gold medal. No matter what, we will give our best. We will win the gold medal.”

Marijne, who is attempting another revival with the women’s team, believes the current crop of Indian talent could be even better than the team he worked with during his first stint. However, the 2026 side will have to prove that claim by winning the Asian Games gold after its impressive fifth-place finish at the World Cup.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar