For the current Indian hockey bunch of Olympic medal winners, the home
World Cup this month might be the best shot at success in the showcase
event, 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medal winner MM Somaya said on Wednesday.India haven’t had much World Cup joy since winning it in 1975, exit in the
quarter-finals of the last edition held at home turf. The Tokyo Olympics
bronze in 2021 though has been a shot in the arm and has also raised
expectations from the Harmanpreet Singh-led team for the tournament
starting on Friday.
World Cup this month might be the best shot at success in the showcase
event, 1980 Moscow Olympics gold medal winner MM Somaya said on Wednesday.India haven’t had much World Cup joy since winning it in 1975, exit in the
quarter-finals of the last edition held at home turf. The Tokyo Olympics
bronze in 2021 though has been a shot in the arm and has also raised
expectations from the Harmanpreet Singh-led team for the tournament
starting on Friday.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for us. After this batch finishes its term,
we may not get a similar batch for a few more years. They’ll carry a lot of
confidence because of the Olympics,” said Somaya in an event organised by
the Sports Journalists Association Mumbai.
“We’re good medal contenders. Most teams are either rebuilding or have
older players. Belgium, for example, has an ageing team. Other teams like
Holland have a lot of young players. The only other team apart from us that
has a blend of youth and experience is Australia.”
