Opinion A fourth Asia Cup reflects Indian hockey’s resurgence

That India is the most dominant men’s hockey side in Asia is a well-acknowledged fact. Pakistan and Korea, which have often been a thorn in India’s side, are no longer the force that they once were. But that dominance has not often been reflected in silverware at the continental level. Sunday’s Asia Cup triumph in Rajgir, which sealed a spot in the next World Cup, was only the fourth time in 12 editions that India has emerged with the trophy, with the country even facing the ignominy of finishing fifth among seven teams in 2009.

Those days seem to be in the past in the light of the splendid performance by Craig Fulton’s charges on home soil — they had one draw in seven games, and were at their best at the business end of the tournament. That, along with two consecutive podium finishes at the Olympics, suggests that Indian hockey has turned the corner for good. Under Australian Graham Reid and now South African Fulton, the team plays as a cohesive unit rather than relying totally on flair and adrenaline. The latter brought results occasionally and contributed to India being considered a dangerous side, but it never earned them the respect that comes with being one of the best in the game. Both Manpreet Singh and skipper Harmanpreet Singh have been playing top-level hockey for a while. But it’s heartening that there is a group of youngsters around them to take Indian hockey forward.

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However, for a country with such a rich history in hockey — including eight Olympic gold medals — celebrating the continental title and two podium finishes after a gap of more than four decades shows how far India had fallen. The World Cup is a stage where India has come up short for even longer. India’s only title came half a century ago. In 2023, on home soil, they failed to even make the quarterfinals. With qualification sealed and with time to spare, it remains to be seen if the story is any better in Belgium and the Netherlands next year.