- Bronze – Paris Olympic Games – Men
- Bronze – Taman Daya – Sultan of Johor Cup – Men
- Gold – Hulunbuir City – Asian Champions Trophy – Men
- Gold – Rajgir – Asian Champions Trophy – Women
- Gold – Muscat – Junior Asia Cup – Men
- Gold – Muscat – Junior Asia Cup – Women
For one who has weathered the barren decades and those bleak years of Santiago 2008 and London 2012, this year feels like the faint stirring of a long-dormant symphony. Don’t worry, I will not go as far as Monchengladbach 2006 and as deep as Auckland 1991.
Because, if I do, I will be asked to revisit the Montreal 1976, Bombay 1982, Lahore 1990 and Utrecht 1998. The heart remembers those painful nights when dreams crumbled like dust underfoot and the roar of victory seemed but a distant echo lost in time.
From those young days of my hockey following to see Indian hockey now gracing podiums once again in this modern-day time with heads held high and spirits unshaken, is akin to witnessing the first light of dawn after an endless night. The year 2024 despite its crests and troughs carries a resonance that transcends the statistics—a whisper of redemption, a flicker of the brilliance that once defined this nation of hockey.
Personally, as a grassroot hockey lover and follower, the very thought of India gracing the podium in every tournament i.e., senior and junior; men and women, seemed but a fanciful dream once—a mirage that teased the hopeful and mocked the faithful.
Yet, here we stand upon the threshold of a new golden age. Where hope is no longer a frail candle flickering in the storm but a flame burning resolute against the winds of doubt. Maybe, Paris is a silver medal lost.
You are not wrong if you say this also. But, to have witnessed two Olympic medals in my lifetime felt like a benediction; and still, my heart remains an insatiable pilgrim yearning for the crowning jewel—a World Cup medal to at last seal this journey of trials and toil.
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This year commenced in a disheartening January as the Tokyo Olympic semi-finalists, our brave Indian women faltered upon the fields of Ranchi. The Paris Olympic Qualifiers proved a cruel and merciless mistress; alas, the gates to Paris were locked. Yet, as with all great stories, the arc of redemption often begins in the shadows of despair.
From those early wounds, the women’s and men’s contingents ventured far and bore the flag of their resolve. In the Four Nations Series in Cape Town, India played the hosts South Africa, mighty Netherlands, and a spirited France. There, amidst victories and heartbreaks, the Indian men carved two wins, suffered a loss against the Dutch, and eked out a stalemate against France. For the women, the path remained beset with thorns, but they soldiered on, undaunted.
The FIH Pro League 2023-24 brought further trials upon the grand chessboard of international hockey. The men’s team finished seventh with 24 points—5 victories tempered by 5 defeats and 6 drawn battles. For the women, two wins amidst thirteen defeats ensured they languish in eighth place – spirits battered, yet not broken.
Then came the bitter tour of Australia—a campaign that must be reckoned as a trial by fire. The men’s team was laid bare, for Australia, relentless and ruthless, handed India a five-nil drubbing. A whitewash it was, and yet, one senses that in such defeats lies a necessary crucible—the forge that tempers steel.
Amidst these tribulations, silver linings emerged like rays of sunlight piercing a storm. The crescendo of the year—Paris Olympics. Bronze, though not gold, came home with the men—a medal that shimmered like a phoenix feather, hard-won and precious. Did Amit Rohidas really deserve a red card, did we really miss an Olympic silver? Well, we will have many thoughts on this later but how a 10-man India played the Quarters vs Great Britain will and should always remain a case study.
Read more: Rani Rampal: The Sovereign of Indian Hockey, A True Amazon of Our Age
Of course, the year bore witness to the return of international hockey to Indian soil—an occasion long cherished, like the return of an estranged friend. The India-Germany Test Series unfolded in India’s National Capital a first of its own kind since 2001. It was but a taste of what this nation might yet achieve when playing in front of its loyal legions.
Professor Harendra Singh, Sir Tushar Khandekar and The Rise of Sreejesh Master!!!
Indian hockey has a rich and storied relationship with its coaches that spans generations and styles. From legends like Balbir Singh Sr. to Gurcharan Singh and Harmik Singh, to modern tacticians such as Harendra Singh, Cedric D’Souza, and Vasudevan Baskaran, and international figures like José Brasa, Terry Walsh, Graham Reid, and Craig Fulton, Indian hockey has experienced a variety of coaching philosophies and approaches.
The year 2024 has been particularly special for me as someone who has always championed the idea of Indian coaches leading Indian national teams. It remains a year of remarkable achievements exemplified by Tushar Khandekar, the former Junior Asia Cup winner in Karachi 2004 guiding the Indian junior women’s team to a historic back-to-back gold at the Junior Women’s Asia Cup in Muscat.
But what holds an even deeper significance is the triumphant homecoming of Harendra Singh, a coach I regard as an “Ekalavya Who Became Dronacharya.” Witnessing him secure a gold medal as India’s coach in his home state is profoundly moving. It felt like the culmination of a long and emotional journey that brought solace to a once-lonely heart and lifting the spirits of a dejected soul.
However, when P.R. Sreejesh was appointed as the Junior India coach in the same year as his retirement, there was some skepticism at the regional level. Some felt he should first pursue coaching certifications or gain experience as a goalkeeping consultant before stepping into a head coach role. Yet, I firmly believe Sreejesh’s appointment is justified. He is deeply embedded in the Indian hockey system with an intimate understanding of its structure and culture. A lifelong learner, both in life and sport, Sreejesh is as qualified, if not more so, than many others for this role.
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My emotions and trust bore result in October when the younger brigades carried forth the nation’s legacy with valor and aplomb. In two-time Olympic bronze medalist P R Sreejesh’s first assignment as an India coach, the Indian colts earned a hard-fought bronze at the Sultan of Johor Cup in Taman Daya.
But it was upon the fields of Hulunbuir City and Rajgir that both men’s and women’s teams unfurled the banners of victory and claimed gold at the Asian Champions Trophy. The junior sides, too, mirrored their elders when they conquered Muscat to bring home gold in both the Junior Asia Cups. Four back-to-back gold medals is as many tournaments is surely the triumph of youth and the promise of tomorrow, right?
And, before the year 2024 concludes—a year of crests and nadirs, of triumphs forged in sweat and setbacks borne with dignity—let me tell you about the Hockey India League.
It is a story of revival, of a dream resurrected from the shadows of silence. After seven long years, the clarion call of India’s premier domestic hockey league resounds once more. Surely, Hockey India with its indomitable vision and unwavering resolve has revived the Hockey India League (HIL). Poised to unfold from 28th December 2024 to 1st February 2025, it promises to be a veritable spectacle of skill, spirit, and sporting excellence.
Yes, we have won the Olympic medal, and yes, we shall win the World Cup again. Trust me when I say this, in 2025, the India Junior teams (men and women) hold a brilliant promise and a strong potential to return home with two medals form the respective world cups.
Yet, every day I get up in the morning, a wistful prayer rises unbidden from the depths of my being—that Her Excellency, the Honourable President, might see fit to adorn the immortal Dada Dhyan Chand, the very God of Field Hockey, with the Bharat Ratna. For he is no mere player of games; he is the keeper of a flame that once lit the world and a sentinel of a legacy that refuses to be dimmed.
To our Hockey God and his orthodox loyals, this honour is not just deserved but long overdue—an offering that would resonate across the ages, as if the soul of India herself whispered, ‘We remember, and we are grateful.’
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