India captain Harmanpreet Singh admitted that the team needs to strengthen its defence after the men’s side ended a disappointing Hockey World Cup campaign in eighth place. India’s hopes of avoiding the eighth-place finish were dashed by co-hosts Belgium, who edged them 4-3 in a penalty shootout after the two teams played out a 3-3 draw in regulation time.Belgium led 3-2 until the closing stages, but Harmanpreet converted a penalty corner with just 26 seconds remaining to force the match into a shootout. The Indian skipper finished the tournament with eight goals.
‘Not happy with eighth-place finish’
Harmanpreet acknowledged that India took confidence from their performance against one of the world’s leading teams but admitted the final position was disappointing.“Playing against the world’s top team in front of their fans and performing well as a team is a big boost. We’re happy with the performance against Belgium, but not with the eighth-place finish,” he said.India had started the tournament strongly, beating Wales 3-1 and Pakistan 5-3 before losing 2-4 to England in the pool stage. Their campaign then unravelled in the second round, with defeats against the Netherlands and Argentina ending their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
Defence remains a concern
Harmanpreet said the tournament had highlighted the need for India to improve collectively in defence, particularly against the world’s top teams.“If we don’t defend well as a team, big teams will trouble you. We need to be stronger defensively. This is one area where we lagged behind,” the captain said.“There are no individual goals. If we win, we win as a team, and if we lose, it is also collective responsibility,” he added.
Asian Games now the target
Despite the disappointing World Cup campaign, Harmanpreet said India must quickly shift their focus to their next major objective – the Asian Games.“This is a journey, and now our next goal is the Asian Games. We want to win the gold medal there and qualify for the Los Angeles Olympics,” he said.Harmanpreet’s eight goals were one of the few bright spots from India’s campaign, but the eighth-place finish means the team will now have to address its defensive shortcomings as it begins the road towards the Asian Games and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.