Hockey World Cup (Men’s) and India
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World Cup
1971-2014
From: November 28, 2018: The Times of India
From: November 28, 2018: The Times of India
There is a quaintness about Bhubaneswar, the temple city, which is hard to miss. The stillness of the place – it shuts down by 11pm – is startling for city slickers. Over the next three weeks though, the time between the city’s early eastern sunset and bedtime will be fast, furious and actionpacked as the Hockey World Cup unfolds here.
In the 13 previous editions since the inaugural World Cup in Barcelona in 1971, only five countries – Pakistan, Australia, The Netherlands, Germany and India – have won the coveted trophy. Pakistan has taken home the crown four times, while Australia and The Netherlands are just a step behind on three occasions each.
This year, Australia and The Netherlands will have a chance to catch up as they are among 16 teams from around the globe vying for the premier trophy. However, the past – and rankings too – will count for little. Belgium serves as a reminder. Pushovers until recently, they finished runnersup in the Olympics and will take on Canada in the inaugural contest of the event here on Wednesday.
Belgium, along with The Netherlands, Germany and Argentina, are expected to run defending champions Australia close, but it’s a formidable task. The Kookaburras are a big-tournament team and are coming off title triumphs at the Commonwealth Games and the Champions Trophy. Although they lost 1-2 to Argentina in the final of the Darwin International Hockey in September, they look a wellrounded team.
The Australians, who haven’t slipped below the third spot in the world rankings in over a decade, have a relatively easy passage into the quarterfinals with Ireland, China and England being their Group B opposition in the league stage. With a mix of young exciting talent like 19-year-old striker Tim Brand, dragflick ace Blake Govers and the experienced co-captains Aran Zalewski and Eddie Ockenden, the team from Down Under are the one to beat.
Olympic champions Argentina, ranked second in the world, who lost their warm-up game against India a couple of days ago, will look to add to their trophy cabinet after the Rio triumph. The South American side has had its share of woes coming into the competition with their hugely successful coach Carlos Retegui having quit and made way for German Orozco. For Argentina, who finished fourth at the Champions Trophy and third at the Azlan Shah Trophy this year, Gonzalo Peillat, Lucas Villa and Maico Casella hold the key to their success.
The Netherlands, on the other hand, will look to make amends for the 6-1 trashing their received from Australia on their home turf in Hague four years ago. Max Caldascoached side have come to India with an experienced side although they will miss the services of their mainstay dragflicker Floris Wortelboer who has been ruled out due to injury. But Mink van der Weerden, Billy Barker and Mirco Pruyser in the ranks, the Dutch could well look to add the fourth world crown, their last coming at home in 1998.
The Oranje are joined by Germany in Group D along with Pakistan and Malaysia. The Germans, the big-stage performers, have been relatively low-key over the past couple of years. That said, Martin Haner’s men are dangerous customers with Florian Fuchs and Timm Herzbruch leading the attack.
16 nations, 36 matches and 1 trophy to fight for, irrespective of the favourites, the next 19 days promise to be a festival of hockey.
Margins of victory
1975- 2023
From: Manuja Veerappa, January 20, 2023: The Times of India
See graphic:
Margins of victory and the hockey World Cup for men, 1975- 2023
1975
The story
Avijit Ghosh, March 16, 2025: The Times of India
The early 1970s was hard on hockey lovers in India. In an era when anything less than an Olympic hockey gold was considered a failure, only bronze medals had come India’s way after Tokyo 1964.
Even in World Cups, a top podium spot was elusive. In Barcelona 1971, when the first World Cup was hosted, India finished third while Pakistan lifted the trophy. Amsterdam 1973 was heartbreak central. India led 2-0 against Netherlands in the final before agonisingly going down on penalty strokes. India missed a penalty stroke during ‘sudden death.’ A conversion would have resulted in an instant tri- umph. But it was not to be. Nonetheless, 1975 brimmed with expectation.
When hockey was all about national pride and emotional investment
The Emergency was still a few months away. In captain Ajit Pal Singh, Ashok Kumar, Govinda, V Phillips, Surjit Singh, Michael Kindo, India had a first-rate unit. But were they better than Pakistan who had Akhtar Rasool, Samiullah, Islauddin and Saleem Sherwani in their ranks? That was the tantalising question. India started well, but not perfectly. Pakistan did. Both topped their groups. But unlike the neighbours, India suffered a loss. Argentina, the hockey equivalent to New Zealand in cricket, upset India 2-1. But the semifinal turned out to be a bigger test. Backed by a vociferous home crowd, Malaysia played sterling hockey and led India 2-1. Penalty corners were plentiful but regular taker, Surjit Singh, was having an off-day. In desperation, the reliable Kindo was substituted for a rookie 21-year-old defender from Bhopal. With just four minutes left for the hooter, India earned a penalty corner. What happened next is a moment engraved in every hockey lover’s memory. Aslam Sher Khan kissed the tabeez (amulet) given to him by his mother; his strike sending the match into extra-time. Harcharan Singh’s goal earned India a place in the final again. In the other semis, Pakistan looked unstoppable routing Germany 5-1. Those were radio days. Everyone experienced sports through the lens of the spoken word and imagination.
Jasdev Singh, the doyen of Hindi sports commentary, was behind the mike. A few senior students brought transistor radios to school. Some of them cut classes to listen to the commentary. The noise they made told us India won the World Cup. Fittingly, hockey wizard Dhyanchand’s son, Ashok Kumar, scored the decider in a 2-1 win. In my mind’s archive, I always pictured Kumar dodging past the Pakistan defence and scoring the match-winner. Truth is, as I realized after watching the final on YouTube some years ago, it came off a goalmouth melee. Watching the match played on grass in Kuala Lumpur, I also realized how dramatically hockey has changed due to the introduction of astro-turf in the 1976 Montreal Olympic. I vividly remember the celebrations. Crackers were burst, but it wasn’t anything like nowadays. Nobody had that kind of money then. Yet a sense of pure joy was evident everywhere: schools, paan shops, streets, bus stops. It was the only point of conversation. With IndoPak cricket in hiatus, hockey was the game where national pride and collective emotions were invested.
On that ‘Ides of March’ every hockey player also became a household name that sports lovers of a certain vintage can still reel off by memory. In the weeks that followed, popular magazines such as The Illustrated Weekly of India and Dharmyug carried cover stories of the triumph. Players received awards in various forms. For instance, the Punjab government gave them Rs 5,000 each. The UP government gave each member a Vijay scooter. Amounts and awards that tell you something about the times.
Sadly, India never stood on the hockey World Cup podium thereafter. The 1980 Moscow Olympics gold too came against a vastly truncated field. Caught napping by astro-turf, it would be decades before the nation would become a force in hockey again. Now hope floats with two consecutive bronzes won in Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024. But the nation awaits the golden glow.
‘India's matchwinning goal was clean’
Umpire nails 1975 WC goal lie, May 8, 2017: The Times of India
Slams Former Pak Captain Islahuddin For Making `False Claim’
Malaysian umpire G Vijayanathan has flayed former Pakistan captain Islahuddin Siddiqui for claiming that India's matchwinning goal in the final of the 1975 World Cup was not clean. India won the World Cup defeating Pakistan 2-1 in the final in Kuala Lumpur but Islahuddin has claimed in his recent autobiography that umpire Vijayanathan blew for a goal when striker Ashok Kumar's shot had rebounded off the post.
Ishahuddin repeated Pakistan's long-silenced claim in his book, which drew Vijayanathan's attention to an issue which he thought had been settled with pictures and video footage of the goal in public domain for years. “It's amazing that Islahuddin has repeated this false theory after so many years even after the entire world has seen videos of the 1975 final that clearly show the Indian goal,“ Vijayanathan said in an interview. “The video of the 1975 final has been in public domain for years and and it's freely available even on Youtube. Unless one wants to live a lie, the proof is available for anyone to see,“ said Vijayanathan, clearly hurt with what Islahuddin has written in his book.
In Islahuddin's book, what caught Vijayanathan's attention was a chapter “A Goal That Wasn't“ which claims that the umpire had wrongly awarded India the goal. Besides, Islahuddin has claimed he was the closest to the action and saw exactly what had happened.
“I am disgusted and dis appointed that a man of his calibre and that too the captain of the Pakistan team can make such a down-graded statement,“ said Vijayanathan, who has maintained silence on the issue and allowed the pictures to speak for themselves. Islahuddin has probably written all this just for a certain audience, but he has forgotten then there is no law against speaking the truth,“ he said. “I umpired this final match of the 1975 Hockey World Cup in Kuala Lumpur with Alan Renaud of France. India won this exciting encounter with Ashok Kumar scoring the winning goal.
“In pictures of Ashok Kumar's goal, you can see nine players and myself, but Islahuddin is nowhere to be seen. While I am watching the action from close to the striker and the goalkeeper, Islahuddin isn't even visible in the zone. Yet, he continues to make a false claim that he was closest to the action,“ said Vijayanathan. “Photographs and videos do not lie.It makes me wonder why Islahuddin is saying all this.“
Aslam Sher Khan’s recollections
By Aslam Sher Khan, March 17, 2025: The Times of India
I still remember it as if it happened just yesterday. Just before our semifinal with hosts Malaysia, our team physician Dr Rajendra Kalra called me to his room. I was ushered in and introduced to a palmist. I don’t know from where Dr Kalra managed to get in one, but I was so desperate to get into the action that I didn’t even bother enquiring.
I had been in the Indian team for a long time now, yet I was still to get a chance to play at the World Cup. Each night I would sleep with the conviction that my time will come. Deep down I had this feeling that this is going to be my tournament. Our manager Balbir Singh senior could understand my restlessness. He too was keen to see me play.
The palmist took my hand, peered into it, then looked at me: “This tournament will make you somebody from a nobody. You will get five minutes, which will change your life.” I simply nodded.
The next day, we trailed Malaysia 2-1 with just four minutes to go. We had 17 penalty corners but had failed to convert even one. Looking down the barrel, we prayed for an equaliser, when Michael Kindo was substituted. Balbir Singh called me and put his hand on my cheeks, and told me, “Son, you go and save India.” His eyes were moist.
We soon won a penalty corner again. The whole team came running to me. It was then I realised the enormity of the occasion, and the shortage of time. The players were all looking to me, of course, an entire nation too. Everyone was silently praying. I can’t describe the pressure. We would have been out. I had no option but to score.
There was very little room for error. Even the slightest mistake would have the umpires reject the penalty corner — we were playing the hosts. BP Govinda made a perfect push and our captain, Ajitpal Singh stopped the ball cleanly for me to take the shot. Do I remember hitting it? Yes, I do now, then I just followed my instinct and my training. The shot caught the goalkeeper on his wrong foot, and it crashed into the board.
There was a stunned silence in the crowd. I knew I had broken the hearts of thousands of Malaysian fans. But at the same time, had given a great moment of joy to 65-crore people back home. It all sunk in as soon as the match ended. Hundreds of the Indian diaspora, who had been prevented from waving the Tricolour in the stands, thronged the dressing room waving their flags. The rush was so maddening that the local police had to resort to lathicharge to control the crowd.
That goal made me — and my team, India — play the final and the rest, we know, is history.
The reception that awaited us in India was perhaps unprecedented. Wherever we went, there was sea of people, crowds and crowds just waiting to see us and shower their love on us. The who’s who of India wanted to share the dais with us. We had won Olympic gold medals in hockey after Independence, but in the 1970s, as a growing nation, the people wanted to see a rising India on the world stage. It was huge recognition for the country. Pakistan were then at the top of their game and beating them in the final was the icing on the cake. It is difficult to describe in words, the mood of the nation at that time. It was a strange emotion that has stayed all these years.
I would like to mention two memories. When we were touring Punjab, people would shout, “Sheron ka sher, Aslam Sher!” It was inspiring as it was humbling. Then in Bhopal, the crowd lifted an open jeep with their hands and brought it to the railway platform so that I could ride it immediately after getting out of the train.
The recognition that followed the World Cup exceeded way beyond my expectations. I still get goosebumps thinking about those moments. The Hindi film industry was taken in by our victory. We had heard that Raj Kapoor was planning a film with India-Pakistan as background. He approached me to be the hero. Decades later, perhaps, there was Henna, the first movie from his studios after his death, that reminded me of his original idea. Manoj Kumar wanted to sign me for five years with Rs 25,000 per month, huge money in those days, but I politely turned them down saying that I only wanted to continue playing hockey for India.
In Malaysia, moments after our triumph, their king asked me to settle down there with all my needs taken care of. A few years later during a visit to the United States, I was asked to coach their women’s team for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
That contract included a green card and permanent residency of the US. In a short span, life offered me everything. What else can you ask for? But I did the right thing, I chose my country.
But every peak has its downsides too. Within months of our triumph, the world hockey body decided to replace grass with astroturf. How else would the Europeans beat India and Pakistan, but to change the game’s grammar. We were so dominant on grass that the Europeans thought that is the best way. So, in a way, with the 1975 World Cup we were the last ones of the golden generation – a lineage that started in the 1920s and continued for so many decades and threw up such legends.
(Aslam Sher Khan scored India’s equaliser in the semifinals of the 1975 World Cup, and India won 3-2 in extra time. They beat Pakistan 2-1 in the final for their only World Cup title till date. Bhopal-based Aslam, now 71, later became an MP from Betul. He spoke to Biswajyoti Brahma.)
2018
India Beat South Africa 5-0
Manuja Veerappa, INDIA ANNOUNCE PRESENCE IN STYLE, November 29, 2018: The Times of India
Simranjeet Scores Twice As Hosts Beat South Africa 5-0 In Opener
Among the 15,000 people who packed the Kalinga stadium here on Wednesday night were hockey legends, including the 1975 World Cup-winning heroes and two former captains Dhanraj Pillay and Dilip Tirkey. The stars screamed themselves hoarse along with the spectators as Manpreet Singh and team registered a clinical 5-0 win over South Africa in their tournament opener at the Hockey World Cup.
Simranjeet Singh scored twice (43rd & 46th minutes), while Mandeep Singh (11th), Akashdeep Singh (12th) and Lalit Upadhyay (45th) accounted for a goal each.
On the eve of the match, coach Harendra Singh had stressed on the importance of beginning the campaign on a winning note. The team did just that, playing an attacking brand of hockey to register their biggest win against the African nation. This was the eighth occasion on which India opened their World Cup campaign with a win. To begin with, India were the dominant side and for the first nine minutes made as many four raids, but didn’t get a clear shot at the goal.
Mandeep provided the home team the opening goal in the 10th minute.
Harmanpreet Singh’s dragflick off the team’s first penalty corner was blocked by South African goalkeeper Rassie Pieterse and Mandeep, who had positioned himself well, tapped the high ball over the goalkeepers’ head.
Akashadeep Singh, the most experienced striker for the hosts, weighed in with his experience on more than one occasion during the match. He played the role of a linkman to perfection.
With the seasoned Birendra Lakra also playing up front, India played in the opposition half for the better part of the match.
Two minutes after the opening goal, Akashdeep doubled the lead with an impressive finish to the combined effort of Varun Kumar, from just outside the 25-yard line, and Simranjeet Singh. Simranjeet received the hit inside the striking circle and deflected it to Akashdeep. Pieterse misjudged Akashdeep’s movement and shifted right as the Indian striker slotted the ball in from the left.
The South Africans did show resilience in the second quarter and tried to man their citadel instead of going for the attack.
But the Indians broke down their defence in the latter half of the third quarter. With attack being the buzzword for India, they put the pressure back on the South Africans.
Mandeep facilitated the third goal when he dribbled into the striking circle, successfully dodging Rhett Halkett and tapped the ball along the baseline towards Simranjeet and Nilakanta Sharma.
The former, placed in front of the goalkeeper, deftly put the ball past the goalkeeper even as the opposition skipper Tim Drummond and two other defenders looked on.
With India 3-0 up, the South Africans started to fumble in their own den. Another Akashdeep pass was tapped in by Lalit (4-0) and Simranjeet rounded off the tally with a penalty corner conversion.
While India walked away victors, they will look to work on direct penalty corner conversions through dragflicks and better trapping the ball.
India hold Belgium 2-2
December 3, 2018: The Times of India
Hosts India produced a spirited effort to eke out a 2-2 draw against Olympic silver medallists Belgium in a Pool C match of the men’s hockey WC on Sunday. Pegged back by Hendricks’ goal in the 8th minute, India scored two goals in the third and fourth quarter to take the lead. But they conceded a late goal in the 56th minute.
India Beat Canada 5-1
Manuja Veerappa, THIRSTY HOSTS, CANADA DRY, December 9, 2018: The Times of India
INDIA ENTER QUARTERS WITH 5-1 WIN
For better part of the first three quarters, India’s performance bordered on mediocrity. The finishing touches in the striking circle just weren’t there, and they played into the hands of Canada who slowed down the pace of the game. But in the last 15 minutes, Harendra Singh’s boys roared back as the hosts sealed their place in the quarterfinals with a commanding 5-1 win.
India topped Pool C. Belgium, who too emerged 5-1 victors on the day, finished second while their opponents South Africa finished last. The result notwithstanding, Canada survived in the tournament and finished third behind Belgium to make the crossovers.
On the night, Lalit Upadhyay (47th and 57th minute) added colour to the Indian victory with two well-crafted goals.
Belgium’s five goals in the earlier contest of the evening had cancelled India’s advantage of goal difference (+5) as the teams had four points apiece before their respective final pool outings. Needing a win to avoid the crossovers, India were set back early in the game as Canada slowed down and even dominated the proceedings. Although they didn’t have a shot at the goal, the visitors claimed 57% possession against India’s 67% in the first quarter.
In the 12th minute, Harmanpreet scored off the second penalty corner with a low flick. Although India had the one-goal advantage, they looked far from the team they have been in the competition so far with the frontline, Mandeep Singh and Simranjeet Singh lacking in connecting passes and even communicating at times.
Floris Van Son cancelled the lead in the 39th minute, but it seemed like a different Indian side entered the field in the last quarter. They were back to giving aerial passes. Instead of chasing the ball, they resorted to controlling it. Chinglengsana played the role of an attacking midfielder and fed ball with precision. He put his name on the scoresheet in the 46th minute. Kothajit Singh’s cross field pass on the right flank was deflected by Dilpreet Singh and was padded by goalkeeper Antoni Kindler and Chinglensana slammed it into the goal. Lalit took advantage of a defensive lapse and sent in India’s third goal, while Amit Rohidas converted a penalty corner in the 57th minute. Lalit returned to score three minutes before the final hooter.
India Loses To Netherlands 1-2, Finishes 6th
Manuja Veeraapa, December 14, 2018: The Times of India
India Lose To Netherlands Despite Taking Lead, Finish 6th
With just three seconds to go for the final hoot, young Indian striker Hardik Singh couldn’t check his emotions. He began to weep into his shirt and was soon enveloped in a hug by Mink van der Weerden, the man who scored the winner for the Netherlands to shut the home side out of the World Cup at home.
After sending the jam-packed Kalinga stadium into a tizzy with a 12th minute strike by Akashdeep Singh, India fell short in temperament and finishing by the strikers, and went down 1-2 in the quarterfinals here on Thursday.
For the Dutchman, who kept their unbeaten World Cup streak against India intact, Thierry Brinkman (15) equalised and Weerden struck what turned out to be the match-winner in the 50th minute.
If India fell short on many counts, the Dutch were not phenomenal either but experience, presence of mind and tactical awareness were major aspects that separated the two teams.
Manpreet Singh and his men entered the stadium carrying the expectations hopes of breaking India’s 43-year World Cup semifinals drought. They were not far from their goal, but paid heavily for elementary mistakes. While the defenders, especially Surender Kumar, were impressive for most part of the game, the Indian midfield and strikers failed to create zones and faltered at crucial junctures.
Both teams attacked from the word go with the experienced Dutch duo of skipper Billy Bakker and Seve Van Ass controlling the midfield action and found success in dispossessing the Indians at the half line. But that did not deter the Indians from making repeated attempts. Their first real shot at the goal was in the eighth minute of play when Lalit Upadhyay crossed the ball to Simranjeet Singh in from of the Dutch goal but the latter failed to connect.
Four minutes later, Akashdeep Singh put the team ahead when Dutch goalkeeper Pirmin Blaak blocked an off-colour Harmanpreet Singh’s drag-flick, which an alert Manpreet attempted to put in from the left flank. His effort found Akashdeep, who dived to put it away.
Just when it looked like India would go into the first quarter break with a 1-0 lead, Brinkman silenced the boisterous crowd.
Mirco Pruijser beat half-adozen Indians with a powerpacked hit from the 23m line and Brinkman, who was positioned behind Indian defender Amit Rohidas, tapped the ball into the net.
With both teams playing with equal intensity, it was only fair they went Dutch. But as the game proceeded, it got more physical, tempers flared, cards were whipped out and the Dutch looked like they were successful in getting on Indians’ nerves.
The second quarter too panned out similarly but India wasted two shots on the goal. In the next two quarters, Netherlands gained the upper hand, shifted the ball possession in their favour.
In the 50th minute, defective tackle coupled with early rushing by the Indians wrong-footed Sreejesh which gave Netherlands their second goal.
2023
Rourkela: India and Argentina finish joint ninth
Manuja Veerappa, January 29, 2023: The Times of India
Bhubaneswar : Hosts India signed off from the FIH World Cup on a winning note for a joint ninth-place finish with Argentina, who beat Wales 6-0. At the Birsa Munda stadium in Rourkela, India dominated for much of their match against South Africa before scoring a 5-2 victory. This is the worst finish by a host nation.
Previously, Argentina (1978), Malaysia (2002) and India (2010) had finished eighth.
The home team could have won by a bigger margin, but the strikers, Mandeep Singh in particular, missed too many chances. That said, India stretched their winning unbeaten run against South Africa to 17 matches.
An attacking India met with early success when Abhishek collected a pass in front of the goal and found the back of the net in the fourth minute. Harmanpreet Singh doubled the lead in the 12th minute, scoring off the first penalty corner. The Indian skipper found the gap between the goalkeeper and a defender to slot home.
After the break, South Africa enjoyed better ball possession but failed to capitalise on it. With 11 minutes on the clock, India were cruising at 4-0, having struck twice in four minutes. South Africa pulled one back on the counter with Samkelo getting past PR Sreejesh. There was a flurry of activity in the last couple of minutes with Sukhjeet scoring off a rebound. With 40 seconds for the hooter, South Africa earned a penalty stroke which Mustaphaa Cassiem put away high beyond Sreejesh’s reach.
India does not reach semi finals
January 23, 2023: The Times of India
India’s hopes of a hockey World Cup medal after 48 years were dashed as the team made a shock exit from the tournament after losing 4-5 to New Zealand in sudden death in their must-win crossover match in front of a capacity crowd at Bhubaneswar’s Kalinga Stadium.
India allowed New Zealand to come back from a two-goal deficit as the match ended at 3-3 in regulation time. The penalty shootout too ended in a 3-3 tie, thanks to two great saves by goalkeeper PR Sreejesh. The Kiwis won in the fourth round of the sudden death stage.
Records
1971-2014: general records
From: November 28, 2018: The Times of India
See graphic:
Hockey World Cup Records: 1971-2014
See also
Azlan Shah hockey tournament and India
Hockey World Cup (Men’s) and India
