2024 in review — Indian hockey’s revival: A year of triumph and transition

2024 in review — Indian hockey’s revival: A year of triumph and transition

From Olympic glory to the resurgence of the Hockey India League and bidding farewell to some of the sport’s greatest pillars, 2024 was an extraordinary year for Indian hockey.

After an underwhelming first half of the year, both the men’s and women’s teams bounced back to secure titles on the international stage.

Indian men’s hockey team coach Craig Fulton’s ‘defend to win’ philosophy was in full flow, while Harendra Singh returned for a second stint as head coach of the women’s team, turning around its fortunes after a string of disappointing results under Janneke Schopman.

Despite securing a spot in the Summer Games, Craig Fulton’s men had a bumpy and punishing journey towards their medal aspirations in Paris. The side ended its FIH Pro League 2023-24 campaign in a dispiriting seventh place, recording only five wins from 16 matches, despite playing eight at home.

Indian men’s hockey team goalkeeper P.R. Sreejesh’s announcement that he would hang up his shirt after the Paris Games drew all eyes to the team as it began its campaign with a win against New Zealand. Growing stronger as the group-stage games progressed, the team unlocked its true potential by defeating powerhouse Australia for the first time since 1972.

A 10-man India then showed remarkable character to overcome Great Britain in a dramatic quarterfinal tie. However, all its hard work was undone by a clinical German performance in the semifinal.

All was not lost, though, as team captain Harmanpreet Singh rallied his side with two goals against Spain in the bronze medal match, breaking a four-decade-long jinx and securing back-to-back Olympic podium finishes. Harmanpreet ended the tournament as the top scorer with 10 goals, seven of which came from penalty corners.

Sreejesh received a fitting farewell to his illustrious international career, which included two Commonwealth Games silver medals, three Asian Games medals (two of them gold), a World League bronze, two Champions Trophy silvers, and two Olympic bronze medals.

Following Schopman’s resignation as head coach of the Indian women’s hockey team, Harendra Singh faced a tough start in his new role during the away leg of the FIH Pro League 2023–24.

The challenges continued in January as the team failed to qualify for the Paris Games during the Olympic Qualifiers. In the Pro League, it managed only eight points from 16 matches, finishing eighth out of nine teams and narrowly avoiding relegation to the Nations Cup.

However, ahead of the Asian Champions Trophy in November, Harendra promised fans that they would witness a “new side of Indian women’s hockey.”

True to his word, the team rose to the occasion, delivering an impressive performance by scoring 27 goals in a seven-match unbeaten run to retain the title.

Deepika Kumari topped the scoring charts with 11 goals, including the decisive strike in the final against China, and was deservedly named Player of the Tournament.

Meanwhile, just over a month after its Olympic success, the Indian men’s hockey team extended its golden run, successfully defending its Asian Champions Trophy title. Coach Craig Fulton retained 10 players and three reserves from the squad that competed in Paris, integrating promising young talent to strengthen the team further.

Harmanpreet once again led from the front, scoring seven goals. Valuable contributions came from Uttam Singh (4), Raj Kumar Pal (3), Araijeet Singh Hundal (3), and Sukhjeet Singh (3).

In goal, Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera admirably filled the void left by Sreejesh, conceding only five goals across the tournament while seamlessly rotating between matches.

In October, the ‘queen of Indian hockey,’ Rani Rampal, announced her retirement, bringing an end to an illustrious 16-year career. Since making her debut in 2008, the former captain played pivotal roles in India’s Asian Games medal-winning campaigns in 2014 and 2018.

Rani was also a senior member of the history-making team that finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics, a performance highlighted by its stunning quarterfinal victory over tournament favourite Australia.

However, Rani’s journey with hockey is far from over. She will return to the field, this time as a coach, after being named the Indian coach and mentor of the Soorma Hockey Club women’s team for the Hockey India League 2024–25 season.

Earlier in the year, defender and penalty corner specialist Deep Grace Ekka also bid farewell to the sport after over 12 years of being a cornerstone of the Indian team’s defence.

The Indian junior men’s hockey team, led by newly appointed head coach Sreejesh, secured the bronze medal at the Sultan of Johor Cup.

Sreejesh quickly found his footing in his new role, achieving his maiden title as the India Colts triumphed in the Men’s Junior Asia Cup, defeating arch-rival Pakistan 5-3 in a thrilling final.

With this victory, India extended its record, winning the tournament for the fifth time, having previously claimed the title in 2023, 2015, 2008, and 2004.

Similarly, the Indian women’s team successfully defended its Junior Asia Cup title, edging out China 3-2 in a dramatic penalty shootout in the final.

The Hockey India League made its comeback after a seven-year hiatus, with a new women’s competition also making its debut, creating fervour for the sport in the country.

Eight men’s and four women’s teams were officially announced, making it the first professional franchise league to have both men and women playing concurrently.

Harmanpreet and Udita Duhan were the top picks in their respective auction pools, going for Rs 78 lakh to Soorma Hockey Club and Rs 32 lakh to Shrachi Rarh Bengal Tigers, respectively.

Odisha made history by winning the 14th Hockey India Senior Men’s National Championship 2024, claiming the title in its maiden final appearance. Odisha triumphed over two-time champion Haryana with a commanding 5-1 victory to secure the top honour.

In the women’s competition, Hockey Haryana emerged victorious against Hockey Maharashtra in a thrilling final, clinching the title with a 3-0 win in a penalty shootout.

While the full impact of the HIL 2024–25 season remains to be seen, players — particularly the younger ones — will look to leverage the competition as a testing ground to establish themselves as key contributors at the international level.

The new Olympic cycle will commence with the opening leg of the men’s and women’s FIH Pro League 2024–25 seasons, set to begin in February in Bhubaneswar. With qualification spots for the 2026 Hockey World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics at stake for the league winners, both teams will aim to identify and nurture emerging talent from domestic competitions.

Rajgir will host the Men’s Asia Cup 2025 from August 27 to September 7, where Craig Fulton’s team will seek to reclaim the title after finishing third in the previous edition in 2022. Meanwhile, the India Colts will take centre stage as the host nation of the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup 2025 in December, with the exact dates yet to be announced. On the domestic front, the 15th edition of the Senior Women’s National Championship is scheduled for March, followed by the men’s tournament in April.

Araijeet made his senior team debut early last year, following a standout performance at the 2023 Junior World Cup in Kuala Lumpur.

The talented drag flicker and forward quickly made his mark, featuring in the FIH Pro League 2023–24 season and contributing to India’s title-winning campaigns at the Asian Champions Trophy 2024 and the Men’s Junior Asia Cup 2024.

The 20-year-old further cemented his rising star status by becoming one of the most expensive young players at the Hockey India League auction, securing a spot with Team Gonasika for an impressive Rs 42 lakh.

With his growing reputation, Araijeet will look to solidify his place as one of the leading stars of the next generation of Indian hockey.