Time to rise and shine

Indervir Grewal

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Chandigarh, December 4

Seven years ago, on a cold December evening, Harjeet Singh, cradling the World Cup, had led his band of ‘invincibles’ in a victory lap in front of a packed stadium in Lucknow. Harjeet, in his uncontainable joy, had already treated the roaring crowd to an impromptu bhangra performance.

The title victory was the culmination of over two years of hard work. By winning India’s second Junior World Cup title, Harjeet and Co. managed to match the feat of the 2001 team, which was replete with future India stars including Deepak Thakur, Jugraj Singh, Prabhjot Singh and Gagan Ajit Singh.

It would not be far-fetched to say that India’s 15-year long wait was ended by a golden generation — many from the 2016 batch have left a mark at the senior level as well, playing key roles in ending India’s four-decade long wait for an Olympics medal.

As the 13th edition of the Junior World Cup begins in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow, the Indian team again arrives as one of the favourites. It will be interesting to see whether the team can perform under the weight of expectations; more importantly, the players’ performances will also give a peek into the future of the Indian men’s hockey.

In the delayed 2021 edition in Bhubaneswar, defending champions India relinquished their crown in anticlimactic fashion. To be fair, the team had to fill big shoes, and their preparation was marred by the Covid-19 pandemic. Yet they reached the semifinals to raise hopes of a second successive title. In reality, though, the team looked out of its depth against serious contenders — India barely got past Belgium in the quarterfinals and were blown away by Germany in the semifinals. The loss to France in the bronze medal playoff only highlighted their flaws.

Experience counts

Two years later, India go into the World Cup after having gained much more exposure. The team retains many of its players from the 2021 edition, including captain Uttam Singh, drag-flicker Sharda Nand Tiwari, playmaking midfielder Vishnukant Singh, and leading strikers Araijeet Singh Hundal and Boby Singh Dhami.

Last year, India reclaimed the Sultan of Johor Cup title, previously won in 2014 by Harjeet’s team. In May-June, India won their fourth Junior Asia Cup title after an unbeaten campaign.

The team, though, did get a timely reminder of the level of competition at the World Cup — they finished third in the recent Sultan of Johor Cup after being beaten 6-3 in the semifinals by eventual champions Germany.

At the World Cup, India have been placed in a relatively easier pool, which includes Spain, South Korea and Canada. India hammered Korea 9-1 in the Asia Cup semifinals, while Canada, who finished 13th at the previous edition, should not pose any challenge. India’s biggest hurdle for the top place will be Spain, who finished fourth at last year’s European championships.

“We have to respect every opponent, it is a bigger stage, so we will have to be cautious and back our strengths to get a good start in the tournament,” India coach CR Kumar said

If India get through Pool C, the challenge will only get harder from there on. In the quarterfinals, India will face one of the top two teams from Pool D, which includes reigning European champions Netherlands and bronze medallists Belgium.

Junior World Cup

India’s pool games

• vs S Korea, December 5
• vs Spain, December 7
• vs Canada, December 9