Times of India: Indian hockey can shine in World Cup, CWG year: Sandeep Singh

NEW DELHI: Former national hockey captain and Arjuna awardee Sandeep Singh has called on the game’s governing body in India and the country’s media to promote hockey in a more proactive manner, while calling out 2018 as a potentially defining year.

In 2018, before the FIH World Cup in November-December, India’s mens and women’s teams will compete at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Writing in his column for TOI, Sandeep felt that Indian hockey could win laurels in 2018 but asked what the plans were for building depth in talent beyond these major events.

“We cannot produce champion teams overnight. Recently our hockey team whether it’s our male, female or juniors, they have given sensational performances and this is testimony of hard work which has been put at the very grass-root level. After recent brilliant performances by our hockey team it still doesn’t get the reach or eyeballs it deserve,” wrote the 31-year-old.

“Media plays a very crucial role here. For any sport to grow it needs to be marketed and funded in a proper manner. Media has the tools to create stars which eventually helps the game to reach every corner of our country. We have a solid core group of talented players as if now, but we also need to think long term. We all are gearing up for 2018 as we have to compete in CWG games and World cup but what about Tokyo Olympics and our future plans, replacements?”
In 2017, the men’s and women’s teams were crowned Asian champions after lifting the Asia Cup titles. The men’s team, led by Manpreet Singh, also won bronze at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup and the FIH Hockey Word League in Bhubaneshwar.

Sandeep, who led India to victory at the 2009 Azlan Shah Cup, said the need was to create a wider and stronger pool of players so that Indian hockey could grow in the coming years. “We need to plan for long term, keep working hard to find future stars. And if we talk about Olympics, are we good enough to get a podium finish?,” he wrote.
“To be honest right now there is no team in the hockey world which is dominating and if we want to get a medal at Tokyo we need to believe in our self and go one step at a time. We have the talent pool now which can beat any team at any given day. 2018 is a massive year for Indian hockey as we prepare to compete in CWG and World Cup. I am pretty confident that Indian hockey team will go from strength to strength and bring back the silverware in 2018.”