Early wins vital for Indian men's hockey team in quest of podium finish at Paris Olympics 2024
The Indian men's hockey team who ended a 41-year medal drought by winning a bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics will be keen for a podium finish at the upcoming Paris Games.
The Indians are currently ranked third as per the FIH and would fancy their chances of advancing to the Olympic semifinals for the second time in succession.
The 2023 FIH World Cup debacle during which the Indians were knocked out of the home tournament ahead of the quarterfinals is however a stark reminder of just how competitive the game is on the big stage.
Based on the draw, the match schedules, and India's recent record against other Paris-bound teams, what can the eight-time Olympic gold medalists expect in Paris?
Wins in early matches vital for Indian men's hockey team in Paris Olympics campaign
The Indian men's hockey team has been drawn alongside an array of ominous hockey powers such as Belgium, Australia, Argentina, and New Zealand in Pool B.
Ireland, the lowest-ranked team in Pool B, also gave a good account of themselves in the recently concluded FIH Pro League mini-tournament despite being unable to notch up a win.
The Indians who take on New Zealand in their opener will no doubt have the fateful 2023 World Cup crossover game in mind, where they were defeated in the shootout by a spirited Black Sticks side at the Kalinga Stadium.
A win in the opener would therefore be crucial to India's fortunes before the Tokyo bronze medalists take on 2016 Rio Olympic gold medalists Argentina.
Argentina is not in the greatest of forms currently. Having finished joint ninth (alongside India) at last year's Hockey World Cup, the Los Leones have managed to win just two matches out of eight thus far in the Pro League this season.
While the heavyweights from South America could still test the Indians in Paris, Craig Fulton's side will be equally aware of Ireland's prowess.
The Irish who are ranked 12th as per the FIH, gave the Indians a run for their money in front of a packed house at the Kalinga Stadium. After thwarting the strikers with their resolute zonal defense, the Irish threatened the Indian goal as well.
A last-gasp effort from Gurjant Singh enabled the Indians to earn an outright win in the FIH Pro League match which was goalless until the 59th minute.
The narrow 1-0 win against Ireland at the Kalinga Stadium highlights the fact that the Indians cannot take any match for granted in Paris and will need to secure enough points in the bag before facing Belgium and Australia.
Back-to-back games against Belgium and Australia will test the resolve of the Indian men's hockey team in Paris
With two big matches on the trot against Belgium and Australia, the road to the knockouts is set to get increasingly tougher for the Indian men's hockey team in Paris.
The 2-5 loss to Belgium in the semifinals of Tokyo 2021 is just one of the many occasions when the Belgians have dented India's hockey dreams when on the cusp of history.
The only consolation for the Indian men's hockey team is that the Belgians are currently not at their best as they experiment with a young and inexperienced side in the ongoing Pro League.
The 2023 World Cup silver medalists have lost 3 of the 4 matches that they played thus far this season.
Colin Batch's Australians who won the silver medal at the 2021 Tokyo Games have had the upper hand against India in recent and remote times.
The 7-1 win against India during the preliminaries of the Tokyo Olympics three years ago serves to emphasize the fact the Kookaburras can bring their best game to the fore when it matters the most.
At the recent Pro League, the Indian men's hockey team was undone by a rampaging Australian side that scored two goals in the first two minutes before snuffing out a comeback by the home team. The final score read 6-4 in favor of Australia.
The hosts were unable to get the better of the visitors in the second game as well after losing the shootout despite managing to hold the Kookaburras to a 2-2 draw.
The Indians would be hoping that their last and final pool match against Australia does not come down to a die-or-die situation, since beating the 2004 Olympic champions in a must-win game can well be a menacing prospect.
Despite being drawn into a tough pool, the Indian men's hockey team would also be pleased that they would not be clashing with the likes of Belgium or Australia in the quarterfinal stage.
To get to the knockouts, however, the Harmanpreet Singh-led Indian team will need to be at their absolute best during the pool stages with wins in the first couple of matches being absolutely vital.
Netherlands, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, France, and South Africa have been drawn in Pool A. The matches begin on July 27.