Olympics 2021: Good show helps Indian hockey teams move up in world rankings
After a very long time, the Indian hockey teams have lived up to expectations at the Olympics. At the 2020 Games, the Indian men’s hockey team won the bronze medal, while the women’s team finished fourth – equalling their best-ever performance.
A delightful finish to a dream campaign saw Indian hockey teams scripting history as both the men’s and the women’s team achieved their highest ever world rankings.
The Indian men’s hockey team, which ended a 41-year medal drought, rose to third in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) World Rankings, behind Belgium and Australia. The Indian women's hockey team moved up to eighth position, as per to the latest rankings.
Also Read: Olympics 2021: Fourteen days that transformed Indian hockey
Prior to the Olympics, the Manpreet Singh-led side's career-high ranking was fourth, which they achieved in March 2020. That ranking came on the back of their scintillating performances in the first three rounds of the second edition of FIH Hockey Pro League 2020.
On the other hand, the Indian women’s team's highest-ever world ranking was ninth, which they accomplished by producing their best finish (a quarter-final appearance) at the World Cup in London 2018. The Indian eves became the top-ranked Asian team and went on to clinch the silver medal at the 2018 Asian Games after that.
Both the teams achieved their highest ranking following their stunning performances at the Tokyo Olympics.
Indian hockey teams rose in strength
Manpreet and co. finished second in Pool A, winning four out of five group matches and defeating Great Britain 3-1 in the quarterfinals. They eventually lost 2-5 to Belgium in the semi-finals. However, they staged a remarkable comeback to grab a 5-4 win over Germany to clinch a historic Olympic bronze medal.
The Indian women’s hockey team had a wobbly start to their campaign, losing their first three matches in the group phase. They worked hard and changed their fortunes by seeing off Ireland and South Africa to qualify for the next round. The women then went on to pull off arguably the biggest upset of the Tokyo Olympics as they beat World No.3 Australia.
Rani Rampal and co. lost both the semi-final and the bronze medal play-off match against Argentina and Great Britain respectively. They finished fourth to climb one spot in the world rankings.
Having achieved their highest-ever world ranking, the Indian men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh said:
"It's a reward for all the hard work and dedication towards the game we love, towards the game which has given us everything. This ranking and the Olympic medal after 41 years mark the rise of Indian hockey, and I think this couldn't have happened without the support of the Ministry, the Sports Authority of India, Odisha Government and Hockey India. There is no looking back now, we have set a benchmark for ourselves and would like to grow from here."
The Indian women's hockey team skipper Rani said:
"We were very close to finishing on the podium and it is hurting the team that we didn't. However, looking at the bright side, we have made remarkable progress in recent years, and I am really proud of it."
"Finishing in the top four at Olympics, and climbing to the 8th position in world rankings, is a very big thing for us. This has boosted our confidence and it will certainly help us grow going forward. I would also like to take this opportunity to thank the Odisha Government, Hockey India and Sports Authority of India for the continuous support and encouragement."
Also read: Sjoerd Marijne steps down as Indian women’s hockey team coach, Janneke Schopman tipped to be chief coach