KOLKATA: The disappointment of a poor World Cup campaign could have derailed India’s Olympic ambitions. Instead, the setback became the Indian men’s hockey team’s rallying point as they fought their way to a second successive Asian Games gold and a place at the Los Angeles Olympics.Reflecting on the turnaround, Shilanand Lakra said the squad made a conscious decision to put the World Cup debacle behind and focus entirely on securing an Olympic berth. At the quadrennial event held in the Netherlands and Belgium earlier in the year, India finished eighth with just two wins in six matches.“We knew we had to improve, especially in attack,” Lakra told TOI. “But instead of thinking too far ahead, we decided to take things one match at a time. The focus was always on our own performance.”Coach Craig Fulton’s message was equally simple after the World Cup. As he put it: “These are lessons, and the only way to treat them as lessons learned is to turn that learning into action.”And Lakra, who hails from Odisha, believes the team did exactly that. “We accepted that our performance at the World Cup hadn’t been up to the mark and understood that consistency would be crucial. The goal was to maintain a high standard in every match and stay focused.”The team was duly rewarded, clinching the gold with an all-win record.The triumph carried special significance for the 27-year-old, who had overcome major setbacks both on and off the field a few years ago. Lakra had spent nearly two years on the sideline after suffering a serious knee injury in 2022 that required ACL, PCL and meniscus surgery. During his rehabilitation, he also endured the loss of his father, making his eventual return to the Indian team all the more remarkable.While winning his first major gold medal naturally stood above everything else, he also cherished being part of the special team.“Spending time with senior players, learning from their experiences and sharing ideas was invaluable. They taught us the importance of staying focused on our own game rather than worrying about opponents or outside distractions,” added the forward, who scored six goals in seven matches after failing to find the net even once during the World Cup.One of the defining moments of the Asiad campaign was the high-pressure contest against Pakistan. Despite holding the advantage, India allowed their opponents back into the contest through a few costly mistakes. But even as momentum shifted, the team remained confident and eventually secured a 4-3 win with a goal in the final minute.“Our mindset was to fight until the final second and finish strongly. We knew a shootout was a possibility, although our aim was always to win in regulation time,” he said.With an Olympic berth secured and an Asian Games gold medal around his neck, Lakra’s attention has already shifted to the next cycle. “The next two years will be important, and my focus will be on improving myself further and helping the team achieve bigger goals,” Lakra added.Hopefully, he will be able to do that and make it to the LA Olympics, where India will be looking to win a third consecutive Olympic medal after bronze-medal finishes in Tokyo and Paris.
