India moves up to 6th in world hockey rankings
The Indian hockey side has put in a series of strong performances this year, and their results have borne fruit. The squad has moved up to 6th in the latest world rankings released by the International Hockey Federation (FIH) following the conclusion of the five Continental championships.
Top-ranked Australia have held on to their position atop the standings, as have the #2 Dutch side. The Australian side are the currently reigning champions at the quadrennial Hockey World Cup, last held in 2014; they have won the title 3 times.
The Dutch side are the reigning women’s Olympic champions, having taken gold at the 2012 Games in London – their third overall. They were runners-up at last year’s Hockey World Cup – with the top-ranked team beating them to the title.
Earlier in 8th, India overtook Belgium and New Zealand to move to 6th spot.
The Indian team were the first side to qualify for the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro 2016, winning gold at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. The women’s side has also qualified after finishing in the top 5 in the 2014-2015 Women’s Hockey World League semi-finals.
Despite a tumultuous year, which saw the side lose longtime coach Paul van Ass due to internal politics within the India Hockey setup. He was replaced by compatriot Roelant Oltmans, who was previously with the side as their high performance director, and they seem to have flourished under the Dutchman.
Indian midfielder Sardar Singh will lead the Indian side at the finals of the Hockey World League in Raipur, which commences on the 17th of November and sees 8 teams competing for the title.
The squad will also play the Australian team in a 3-test series prior to the League.