The Indian men's hockey team has slipped to sixth place in the FIH World Rankings ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024.
The Indian Men’s hockey team is going through a rough patch at a crucial juncture especially when the Paris Olympics is just 100 days away. After getting bullied by the Kookaburras in a 5-0 whitewash, the men in blue found themselves in all sorts of trouble as they drop out of the top 5 in the latest FIH World Rankings.
The Indian Hockey Team started 2024 ranked an impressive world no. 3. However, after a string of dismal performances, they have now slipped three places after conceding more than 15 goals.
Read more: Indian Men’s Hockey team suffer a 5-0 whitewash in Australia
This continued a disappointing run of form for the Indian men’s hockey team ever since their historic bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. Interestingly, it was India’s first Olympic hockey medal in 41 years. That campaign had raised hopes of an Indian hockey renaissance, but inconsistent performances since then have prevented them from kicking on.
For the men in blue, the tour of down under was an eye opener for the entire squad. Incapability to convert big chances and lack of defensive astuteness amidst counter-attacks proved detrimental for the men in blue.
India had already dropped to world no. 4 earlier this year after an inconsistent showing in the home leg of the FIH Pro League in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela against opponents like Spain, Ireland, Australia and the Netherlands.
India will have a chance to arrest this slide and improve their ranking when they take part in the European leg of the FIH Pro League starting in May. A strong performance there could propel them back into the top four before the all-important Paris Olympics.
Read more: Salima Tete gets recognized for her hard work with Hockey India Player of The Year
While the Indian men’s hockey team slipped to 6th position, the women in blue remain dormant and steadfast at the 9th place in the FIH Rankings. Like the men’s team, the women’s team are also going through a rough patch which saw them unable to qualify for the forthcoming Paris Olympics 2024.
However, with Harendra Singh being appointed as the new coach recently, the Indian women’s team will be keen to start afresh and try to improve their ranking in the upcoming FIH Pro League matches next month.
Read more: Hockey India announces 33-core group camp for Indian Women’s Hockey Team
Get the latest from Sportslumo.com by following us on Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.
Follow Us
