After Losses, India Look to Restore Pride

India, from being placed 3rd at the start of the European leg of the Pro League, have dropped to 8th with two games left

- Sandip Sikdar

NEW DELHI: "There's a realistic chance to qualify for the World Cup if we stick to the plan in the Pro League," India vice-captain Hardik Singh had said just before departing for Europe for the second half of the FIH Pro League late last month.

The two-time Olympic bronze medallist was quite confident. And why wouldn't he be. The Indian men's hockey team was placed third after the home leg of the elite nine-nation tournament with five wins in eight games. They had beaten the likes of reigning world champions Germany and the feisty England and needed a decent run to make the cut for the 2026 FIH World Cup.

With Olympic champions Netherlands and Belgium having already qualified as hosts and Australia making the cut as last edition's Pro League champions, the Harmanpreet Singh-led outfit needed to finish fourth to qualify for the World Cup.

But all hell broke loose in Europe. From being in a position to qualify for the World Cup, six successive losses have seen the Craig Fulton-coached side just about avoid a last-place finish, which would have relegated them to the lower tier FIH Nations Cup. With two matches to go against Belgium, India are placed eighth and Ireland ninth in the Pro League table.