ALL SET FOR STICK FIGHTS
India open Hockey World Cup campaign with match against South Africa
Bhubaneswar, Nov. 27: Armed with a sense of togetherness, self-belief and a strong crowd backing them eve ry moment, India will seek to end 43 years of hurt when they begin the Hockey World Cup campaign against South Africa here on Wednesday.
The hosts’ Pool ‘C’ encounter at the Kalinga Stadium will be the showpiece event’s second game.
Eight-time Olympic champions India’s only glory at the World Cup came way back in 1975 when Ajit Pal Singh and his men’s created history for the past masters of the game.
Since then India has failed to match the standards of the Europeans, Netherlands, Germany and Australia, who have been ruling the game.
In the last 10 editions since its maiden triumph in 1975, India’s best performance was a fifth-place finish at the 1982 edition in Mumbai (then Bombay).
Now, the world ranked fifth Indians would be eager to recreate the magic by reaching the semifinals, and possibly a podium finish.
That is though easier said than done as besides tackling powerhouses like the defending champions Australia, Netherlands, Germany and Olympic champions Argentina, the Indians will be under pressure to live up to the expectations of millions of fans.
The last time India played a World Cup at home, in 2010, it finished eighth and going by records, the host nation has never fared well in the tournament. All the nine countries to host a World Cup till date have finished eighth or above.
Chief coach Harendra Singh’s men would be hoping to rewrite that in front of home fans. Harendra would be hoping to recreate the magic of two years ago when he guided the junior Indian team to the World Cup title. — PTI