NEW DELHI – The four-decade climb back up should not stop with Indian hockey's historic return to the Olympic podium after 41 years.
The last decade has been the most crucial. A professional approach by India led to historic success − be it the bronze-medal effort at the junior women's World Cup in 2013 or the title victory in the 2016 junior men's World Cup.
The senior women went on to qualify for two consecutive Olympics in 2016 and 2020/21 made their first ever semi-final appearance at the Tokyo Games. The men went a step ahead and reclaimed their storied place on the Olympic podium with a bronze medal.
What India does from this point on might determine how they fare in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
Former India coach Harendra Singh, who mentored both the men's and women's national teams, believes the foundation needs to be made stronger and the sport's visibility must improve to inspire the younger generation.
When Times of India asked Harendra if the success at Tokyo would inspire youngsters in Tier-1 cities, the former coach “believes that (kids in larger cities) will get inspired. After this medal, the role of everyone becomes very important. If we want to make hockey a sport for the elite as well, we have to bring back the game at the school level, even if on a small field.
“Today, the game’s state is such that there are five astro-turfs in New Delhi, but the state doesn’t have even five players in the senior national core groups. It’s a sad state of affairs.
“We failed when we let school hockey die and the school teams vanished. Until hockey returns to schools, it will remain limited to a few areas. – Agencies, August 17, 2021
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