Sjoerd Marijne reflects on India’s World Cup campaign, the Asian Games gold, the growth of younger players and the team’s preparation for LA 2028.

India’s eighth-place finish at the 2026 Men’s Hockey World Cup was disappointing for a team coming off two consecutive Olympic medals. Despite flashes of attacking quality, defensive lapses, inconsistency and dependence on Harmanpreet Singh’s penalty corners prevented India from challenging the world’s best.