When India celebrates its 80th Independence Day, its men’s hockey team will open its World Cup campaign against Wales in Amstelveen, aiming to end a 51-year medal drought. Because of hockey’s emotional connection with Indians, the wait has been agonising for the eight-time Olympic champion. It won its last medal when the Ajit Pal Singh-led side lifted the trophy in Kuala Lumpur in 1975 during the pre-synthetic turf era. Trust in the present Harmanpreet Singh-captained side has grown after India broke a 41-year Olympic jinx with bronze in Tokyo in 2021 and retained it in Paris 2024. Under coach Craig Fulton, the team won Asian Games gold in 2023, Olympic bronze in 2024, and the Asia Cup in 2025, with the last one helping it qualify for the World Cup. Despite finishing eighth in the FIH Pro League 2025-26, India showed positive signs by beating World champion Germany and Olympic champion the Netherlands. After experiencing experimentation, defeats and two controversies — involving most-capped player Manpreet Singh, and the unwarranted decision to change the jersey from the familiar blue to saffron, the squad has regrouped for its first World Cup following the retirement of legendary custodian P.R. Sreejesh. After Wales, the eighth-ranked side faces a formidable England and traditional rival Pakistan in the pool.

Comprising two-time Olympic medallists and promising youngsters, the team, placed sixth and ninth in the last two editions, now targets a higher finish in the World Cup before embarking next month on a mission to retain the Asian Games gold, which will earn it a berth in the 2028 Olympics. The Salima Tete-led women’s team has rebuilt under Dutchman Sjoerd Marijne after turmoil caused first by the exit of his predecessor and then by an alleged sexual harassment case involving a former Hockey India official. Marijne, who took India to its best-ever fourth in Tokyo in his first stint, guided it to World Cup qualification and Nations Cup victory. Despite the Hockey India League experience and the exposure to foreign players, the team of five 200-cap players and 11 debutants may find it tough to match 1974’s fourth-place finish. Ranked ninth, India plays Olympic silver medallist China on August 16, then South Africa and higher-ranked England. It will target a better position than 2022’s ninth before switching focus to the Asian Games. For the first time, the World Cup for both genders involving 32 teams altogether, with a new and tricky format, is co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Both the Indian teams must play as cohesive units to build towards Los Angeles 2028.

When the Indian men’s hockey team takes the field on August 15 for its World Cup opener at the historic Wagener Stadium in the Netherlands, two experienced pros will be rewriting records, hoping to end more than half a century of disappointment for the country.

Alongside teammate Manpreet Singh, 31-year-old Mandeep Singh will join an elite list of Indians to play four World Cups, previously achieved by legends Dhanraj Pillay and P.R. Sreejesh. Mandeep will also become the youngest to do so. He admits pride in the achievement but is also constantly reminded of the missing piece in his medal cabinet.

“Of course, it feels great to play my fourth World Cup, a very proud moment. But it is also a reminder that there is nothing to show for the three I have already played. It’s just been participation so far… we don’t have the one thing that we so desperately want,” Mandeep told The Hindu ahead of the World Cup.

For someone who has a medal from every other major competition in the sport, at every level – junior and senior Asia Cups, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Champions Trophy and the Olympics – that empty space on his medal cabinet is a constant reminder of an unfinished job.

“My father said the same thing when I spoke to him – you are still one short. But if this is the last chance for us, we won’t waste it and try to bring back that medal. It is a huge motivation, playing the fourth World Cup. Dhanraj sir did it, now we are going to do it. The dream now is to lift that Cup,” he insisted.

As one of the seniormost players in the side with 288 international matches under his belt, Mandeep is aware of his role but insists on collective responsibility.

“I believe all 18 players in a team have to play; everyone is aware of their individual responsibility and team target. Everyone has to perform; a senior or junior is just a tag that doesn’t matter on the field.

“You are selected because you know how to play and how to handle pressure, regardless of whether you have played 10 matches or 100 for India. What we can do is share our experiences from all these years, including what we have learnt from our seniors and pass it all to the youngsters. It helped us form a bond with our seniors, and we try to do the same during training, which makes the connections better,” he explained.

That also explains his motivation to stay fit. “Most important is diet, then fitness to keep up with the youngsters. You need to take individual responsibility, go beyond the team plan and train on your own whenever possible. You have to do that to fight for your spot,” he said.

Mandeep knows it won’t be easy, but is confident it isn’t impossible either. A chance to write his name in the history books is motivation enough. “When we won an Olympic medal in Tokyo after 41 years and then again in Paris, we saw how it completely changed Indian hockey’s stature and again gained recognition.

“The wait for a World Cup medal has been longer, 51 years! So we are aware of its importance and what it would mean for the game and for the country. Which is why we are not even thinking of the Asian Games or anything else at the moment; full focus is on the World Cup,” he declared.