Saturday, 4 July 2026 MUMBAI EDITION LIVE

India Hockey Coach Vows Comeback Despite Pro League Struggles

Despite finishing eighth in FIH Pro League, Indian hockey coach remains confident in team's potential.

Sameer Joshi
Sameer Joshi
Senior Correspondent · Sat, 04 July 2026 at 04:30 pm
India Hockey Coach Vows Comeback Despite Pro League Struggles

India's hockey team completed a disappointing FIH Pro League campaign, securing eighth position with 19 points accumulated across 16 matches. The squad finished just above Pakistan, who remained winless throughout the tournament, highlighting the challenges faced by the Indian contingent during the competition.

Despite the underwhelming performance, India's coaching staff has publicly expressed strong conviction in the team's capabilities. The head coach stated that the squad possesses the talent and skill required to compete effectively against any opponent, signaling confidence in the group's potential for improvement moving forward.

The Pro League campaign served as a stern reality check for Indian hockey, as the team struggled to maintain consistency against international opposition. The relatively low points tally suggests significant gaps in performance across multiple matches, raising questions about tactical execution and player form during this period.

The eighth-place finish in a competitive international tournament indicates that India requires substantial work in preparation for upcoming assignments. However, hockey federations and coaching staff often view such campaigns as learning opportunities to identify weaknesses and strengthen the team's approach.

With the coach's assertion that the team can defeat any opponent, the focus now shifts toward tactical restructuring and player conditioning ahead of future competitions. The coming weeks will be critical as India attempts to regroup and demonstrate the quality that the coaching staff believes exists within the squad.

Source: Times of India

X Facebook Telegram
Read the original report ↗

More in all

Bill for PM, CM removal over 30-day jail, row over Rajnath's ‘lie’ may dominate Parliament monsoon s all

Bill for PM, CM removal over 30-day jail, row over Rajnath's ‘lie’ may dominate Parliament monsoon s

Modi govt could not make constitutional amendments in last session as it did not have numbers for that. Defections have

By Sameer Joshi · 2 min ago

Manipur CM visits Churachandpur for funeral of BJP MLA, first since 2023 violence all

Manipur CM visits Churachandpur for funeral of BJP MLA, first since 2023 violence

CM’s visit to Churachandpur amid the boycott imposed by several Kuki bodies was the first since the May 3, 2023 clash

By Divya Rao · 2 min ago

'Will fight for Punjab together': Warring plays down rift with Channi ahead of polls all

'Will fight for Punjab together': Warring plays down rift with Channi ahead of polls

Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh Raja Warring has dismissed rumours of internal party rifts, assuring that senior l

By Aarav Deshmukh · 2 min ago

'Became difficult to continue working': Chandrima Bhattacharya explains TMC exit all

'Became difficult to continue working': Chandrima Bhattacharya explains TMC exit

Chandrima Bhattacharya resigned from all Trinamool Congress posts, citing a loss of confidence from party chief Mamata B

By Imran Qureshi · 2 min ago