Having been unable to even reach the semifinals after their 1975 triumph in the Hockey World Cup, the side will be aiming to end that drought in the ongoing FIH Hockey World Cup 2023, being hosted in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. India won their first match 2-0 against Spain but could not score from four of their penalty corners, a problem they will need to fix ahead of their second game against England if they want to get back on the podium, according to Hockey India president Dilip Tirkey.
"We have fielded the Indian team to win a medal this time, we would want India to be in the medal tally. They are currently playing really well," Tirkey told PTI in an interview. "But modern hockey has changed a lot. Penalty corners have become very important. When the penalty corner conversion clicks, most of the time the team wins. We have very good drag flickers and I hope they click in the tournament and win a medal for India."
"(Captain) Harmanpreet Singh has been doing very well for the country as a drag flicker though he was not at his best against Spain. So, we are hoping India does well in penalty corners," he added.
The remaining teams in their Pool D are England and Wales, but if they do well, then the side will need to beat top teams like defending champions Belgium and world number one Australia to reach a podium spot.
When asked about their chances against such heavyweights, Tirkey said, "The team fought against Australia very well in the (five-match) series, they had competed very well. Belgium is also one of the best sides in the world. But India is now in a position to fight against any team in the world on a particular day."
He also added that hosting the World Cup in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela will set a benchmark for future host nations of the marquee tournament. "When Kalinga stadium hosted the 2018 World Cup final, I thought that was the best stadium. But when I came here and saw myself and after speaking to coaches and players, it (Birsa Munda stadium) is simply magnificent. I think there is no better stadium (than this) in the world," Tirkey said.
"Of course, if a better stadium than this comes up, that will be good for hockey. With this world's largest stadium hosting the World Cup along with the Kalinga Stadium, no doubt this World Cup will set the benchmark for future editions."
