India’s wait for another men’s hockey World Cup medal has stretched to 51 years, but the country’s 1975 champions believe the current generation has what it takes to end that drought. Ashok Kumar and Aslam Sher Khan have called on Harmanpreet Singh’s team to place national pride above individual goals when they take the field at the upcoming World Cup.
India’s only men’s World Cup triumph came in 1975 in Kuala Lumpur, where they edged Pakistan 2-1 in the final. Ashok Kumar produced the decisive moment, scoring in the 51st minute to seal a historic victory.
The 1975 champion believes the current squad needs to approach the tournament with an unwavering determination to win for India rather than focusing on personal achievements.
“I would say to the Indian team: keep in mind that victory or defeat will not be yours, but your country’s. This will automatically inspire you. This 51-year wait has been too long, and now we have to win a medal,” Ashok said while talking to PTI.
The upcoming World Cup will be staged in the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30, giving India another opportunity to chase a medal that has eluded the team for more than five decades.
Aslam Sher Khan, another member of the 1975 title-winning side, echoed that sentiment. He feels the players must carry the same patriotic spirit that inspired India’s golden generation. Aslam had played a crucial role in the semi-final against Malaysia, scoring the equaliser that helped India reach the final.
“When we entered the World Cup, our country was like our mother, and we played with that same passion. You too must enter the field with the thought that we are playing for our mother, and our passion must be such that we will win at all costs,” he said.
Both former stars have experienced the frustration of falling short before finally reaching the summit. Ashok and Aslam were part of India’s teams that claimed bronze at the 1971 World Cup and silver two years later in 1973. Those near misses, rather than diminishing their ambition, strengthened their determination to eventually win the title.
“When we lost the semi-final in 1971, coach Balbir Singh Sr cried so much that it was difficult to calm him down. Such was the passion to win for the country.”
“When we won silver in 1973, there was huge disappointment of missing out on gold. I even wondered how I would show these medals to my father and uncle. I would feel ashamed to return home with a bronze or silver,” said Ashok.
That hunger was evident in the preparations for the 1975 tournament, with the team camp in Chandigarh developing a particularly intense atmosphere as the players sought to turn previous disappointments into motivation.
Aslam also believes the present-day squad needs to recognise that Olympic hockey and World Cup hockey present different challenges. India’s recent Olympic success has been significant, with the Harmanpreet-led side securing bronze at both the Tokyo Games in 2021 and Paris in 2024.
The former India player noted that the Tokyo campaign came during the unprecedented circumstances created by the COVID-19 pandemic. Yet India managed to reproduce its medal-winning performance in Paris, demonstrating the team’s ability to handle pressure on the biggest stage.
“If we can play with the same spirit as we did at the Paris Olympics, India is sure to be on the podium after 51 years,” he said.
The challenge now is to translate that Olympic consistency into World Cup success and finally bring India back onto the men’s hockey World Cup podium.
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