India men’s hockey team remain bereft of an Olympic gold medal since Moscow 1980.
In their approach to an elusive gold, the Harmanpreet Singh-led side that won a consecutive bronze medal at Paris 2024, has adopted a process similar to the Tokyo 2020 gold medalist Belgium.
“In the last 8-10 years, Belgium have had a particular group of players that have played together. They had the right blend of seniors as well as youth and there was continuity. The biggest positive we see in them is their culture — throughout the year, there’s one or the other form of hockey going on there,” Harmanpreet Singh writes for The Indian Express.
“A team like Belgium is always in rhythm and that is what our team targets. I was talking to Belgium midfielder Victor Wegnez. He told me how they all were shocked after the loss against Spain in the quarterfinals but then they also understood how world hockey is at the moment. Yet, that team gave their best in the 10-year cycle and the Indian hockey team is following a similar process,” he adds.
Harmanpreet, the leading goal scorer in the men’s hockey event at Paris 2024, also picked up the brain of Belgium midfielder Victor Wegnez to maintain their rhythm.
“I was talking to Belgium midfielder Victor Wegnez. He told me how they all were shocked after the loss against Spain in the quarterfinals but then they also understood how world hockey is at the moment. Yet, that team gave their best in the 10-year cycle and the Indian hockey team is following a similar process,” the 28-year-old writes.
A prime example of how the most successful men’s hockey team in the Olympic is adapting to the process was defined after their custodian PR Sreejesh’s retirement.
“Now that he (PR Sreejesh) has retired, the baton passes to youngsters like Krishan Pathak. The same is the case of other young midfielders or strikers or defenders when seniors retire. The transition phase will have to be smooth; there has to be continuity,” he describes.
“We want to continue playing with the same mentality — of being one of the world’s best. I’ll again give Sreejesh paji’s example,” he adds.