New Delhi: Former India hockey star and coach Rajinder Singh is confident that the Indian men’s team can reach the semi-finals of the 2026 Hockey World Cup, provided the players remain focused on converting their opportunities and maintain discipline against the counter-attacking European sides.
The 2026 Hockey World Cup will be held in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 15 to 30. Rajinder Singh, a former international full-back and renowned penalty-corner specialist, believes India has the depth, experience and understanding within the squad to mount a strong challenge.
“I am fully confident that India can reach the semi-finals. I do not attach too much importance to the team’s recent results in the FIH Pro League. Most of our players have been playing together for a long time and understand each other’s game well. That combination is a major strength,” Rajinder said.
The former player, who was part of India’s gold-medal winning team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics and silver-winning side at the 1982 Asian Games, said India needs to make better use of its scoring opportunities.
India Must Score More Field Goals
According to Rajinder, India’s primary focus should be on increasing its field goals while creating more penalty-corner opportunities.
“Our midfield and defence are quite strong, but we need to score more field goals. The more field goals and penalty corners we create, the better our chances will be,” he said.
India possesses considerable strength in penalty-corner execution, with captain Harmanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh and Amit Rohidas among the players capable of producing dangerous drag-flicks.
Rajinder also highlighted India’s attacking options, including Abhishek, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh, while pointing to the experience of midfielders such as Hardik Singh, Manpreet Singh and Vivek Sagar.
He also expressed confidence in India’s defensive unit, which includes Harmanpreet Singh, Amit Rohidas, Jugraj Singh and Sumit, as well as the goalkeeping options of Mohit and Suraj Karkera.
Focus on Winning One Match at a Time
Rajinder believes India should approach the tournament one match at a time rather than become distracted by expectations surrounding the team.
“The team must remain completely focused on winning each match. The management has to ensure that the players remain mentally strong on the field,” he said.
He suggested that India should look to put opponents under pressure from the opening stages by creating scoring opportunities and penalty corners. Such an approach, he said, could force opponents to spend more time defending rather than launching attacks.
Rajinder also stressed the importance of detailed preparation for penalty corners. India’s drag-flickers should study the movements and tactics of opposition runners and adapt their execution accordingly, he said.
Defence Must Be Alert Against Counter-Attacks
While confident in India’s defensive strength, Rajinder warned that European teams could pose a serious threat through quick counter-attacks.
“In modern hockey, midfielders and defenders have to be particularly alert against counter-attacks. Forwards also have responsibilities beyond scoring goals. They have to tackle, win the ball back and help move possession out of their defensive area,” he said.
He added that players must remain particularly organised during restarts and transitions, when teams can be vulnerable to sudden changes in possession.
Team Unity Will Be Crucial
Rajinder said modern hockey requires players to take greater responsibility for implementing tactical plans on the field. According to him, coaches can prepare strategies and strengthen individual capabilities, but success ultimately depends on how effectively players communicate and execute those plans during matches.
“I do not see any major weakness in the current Indian team. The penalty-corner specialists are capable of scoring, while the forwards need to work together to create and convert opportunities. Every team will arrive at the World Cup with new strategies and renewed motivation,” he said.
Rajinder, who later coached India to its first Junior Hockey World Cup title in 2001 and helped the senior side win the 2003 Asia Cup, urged the players to remain united and ignore distractions outside the playing arena.
“I expect the Indian team to play with complete concentration and unity, shut out the noise away from the field and produce its best hockey at the World Cup,” he said.
