4 min learnMar 27, 2026 10:18 PM IST
With the Asian Video games and World Cup scheduled inside three weeks of one another later this 12 months, Hockey India is mulling sending totally different groups to the 2 tournaments with the continental occasion being the principle focus given it supplies a direct pathway to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
The Hockey World Cup shall be held from August 15-30 within the Netherlands and Belgium whereas the Asian Video games will begin on September 19 in Aichi Nagoya, Japan.
“Our full focus is on the Asian Video games. The World Cup can be massive however it’s robust for gamers to peak twice in such a brief house of time. We are able to’t rule out the opportunity of sending two totally different groups to the 2 tournaments,” Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey advised The Indian Categorical on the sidelines of the federation’s annual awards operate on Friday. “We are going to focus on this nearer to the World Cup. The selectors and the top coach will decide primarily based on what appears proper at that time of time.”
The Indian males’s crew had a horror begin to the FIH Professional League in Rourkela the place the Harmanpreet Singh-led aspect suffered 4 straight losses, together with a 0-8 drubbing in opposition to Argentina.
There was some enchancment through the subsequent tour of Australia, however the crew couldn’t register an outright win there both. Judging by the present type of the Indian crew, the upcoming stretch of tournaments appears troublesome. There’s a gold medal to defend in Japan however India haven’t completed on the World Cup podium since 1975. Within the final version on house turf in 2023, they suffered elimination by the hands of New Zealand and bowed out even earlier than the quarterfinals.
“I really feel it’s going to be robust for the Asian groups on the World Cup. We’d need the crew to carry out effectively at each tournaments however let’s be sensible about how robust elite sports activities is. The main focus stays on the Asian Video games and we are going to monitor the state of affairs for the subsequent few months,” Tirkey stated.
India and arch-rivals Pakistan are clubbed in Pool D of the World Cup, together with England and Wales.
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Manpreet’s short-term focus
Former skipper Manpreet Singh has been within the information lately with out being within the squad after he was ‘rested’ through the two legs of the FIH Professional League. There have been allegations that the veteran was dropped to stop him from breaking Tirkey’s Indian document for probably the most worldwide caps. Manpreet is presently one wanting Tirkey’s mark of 412 video games.
Nevertheless, each people rubbished the hypothesis, with Manpreet saying that he wished some relaxation after a busy 2025 season and the HI president agreeing that the choice name was made based on a preconceived plan of the teaching crew.
“Manpreet is an skilled participant however given his age, we have to develop some gamers who can take the mantle from him. That’s the reason he was rested,” Tirkey stated.
Manpreet, who’s again within the nationwide camp now, stated he isn’t trying past the Asian Video games for now.
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“I’ll proceed to play until the Asian Video games as I’m match and coaching day by day. My physique is responding to what I’m asking it to do however after that I’ll take a name my health,” he stated.
On the age of 33, Manpreet is probably the most skilled participant within the present hockey setup boasting an illustrious CV with two Olympic podium finishes and as many Asian Video games gold medals. However given his age, Hockey India is prone to look past him with the Los Angeles Olympics two years away.
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