Hardik Singh Set to Drive India’s World Cup Pursuit

Hardik Singh will enter the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup 2026 with unfinished business, convinced that India have a major opportunity to end their long wait for the trophy. The midfielder is preparing for his third World Cup as India pursue their first title since 1975, carrying the lessons of injury, disappointment and an Olympic recovery into the campaign.

India will head to the Netherlands and Belgium as two-time Olympic medallists rather than tournament favourites, but Hardik believes the group has the quality to compete with the leading sides. He has pointed to the experience within a settled core that includes Harmanpreet Singh, Manpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh, while stressing that India possess players capable of matching the strengths of their opponents.

For Hardik, the World Cup represents a particularly personal target. India lost to the Netherlands in the 2018 quarter-finals before being beaten by New Zealand a round earlier in 2023. Both tournaments were staged in India, and a hamstring injury denied Hardik the chance to play in the 2023 defeat, forcing him to watch from the sidelines as Raj Kumar came into the team.

Lessons from injury and Olympic recovery

Hardik said the 2023 setback changed his perspective on the sport. He recalled advising Raj Kumar on how to fit into India’s system and structure, while acknowledging the uncertainty athletes face between major tournaments. His message to team-mates before big events is to approach every match as though it could be their last game of hockey.

The midfielder said the biggest lesson from that World Cup was accepting that not everything is within a player’s control. Rather than trying to force outcomes, he decided to trust the process, a mindset that helped him during the Paris Olympics a year later.

India began that Olympic tournament with below-par displays despite a win over New Zealand and a draw with Argentina, and Hardik felt he too was not playing well. He said he had been trying too hard. By returning to the habits and natural game that had shaped his time with India, he found his form again, and India went on to secure a second Olympic medal.

That experience adds weight to Hardik’s importance in 2026. He was a young player at the 2018 World Cup and described himself as being nowhere near his current level. In 2023, injury interrupted his campaign. This time, he arrives with greater experience and as a central figure in India’s midfield.

India’s opportunity in western Europe

Most of India’s matches are likely to be in Amstelveen until the semi-finals, and Hardik is looking forward to playing outside India. He considers the Netherlands, beyond India, among the best places to play hockey. The setting will be different from India’s previous two World Cups, but the team travel with recent evidence that they can handle elite opposition.

India have had competitive games against the Netherlands and Germany, two highly fancied teams, and they return to western Europe under coach Craig Fulton with positive memories from the Paris Olympics, where they defended their bronze medal. Hardik has credited Fulton and the coaching staff for providing extensive information and data since the 2023 World Cup.

He cited Olympic preparation in which players received detailed analysis, including tendencies such as how often opponents dribbled left or right. Still, Hardik recognises analysis alone cannot guarantee results, noting that a team can do almost everything right and still lose in sport.

That is the challenge awaiting India, but it is also why this World Cup matters so much. With a battle-hardened group, Olympic pedigree and a fit Hardik at the centre of the side, India believe they have a genuine chance to make history and bring the World Cup home for the first time in 51 years.