The Indian women’s hockey team has been relegated from the FIH Pro League, but coach Harendra Singh remains optimistic, outlining key areas for the team to improve ahead of the Asia Cup.
A Tough Season and Relegation
Four years after their impressive fourth-place finish at the Tokyo Olympics, the Indian women’s hockey team is facing a challenging period. Last year, they failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics, and now they’ve finished last in the 2024-’25 FIH Pro League, leading to relegation.
This means India will no longer compete in this top-tier international tournament, outside of World Cups and the Olympics. With China’s rising performance, even success in Asia could become harder to achieve.
Coach Harendra Singh’s Perspective
Despite the setbacks, coach Harendra Singh isn’t ready to give up hope. He admitted the team is disheartened by the Pro League exit but emphasized that he’s “not in pain.”
Singh believes the team’s performances were more competitive than the results suggest. He noted that in most games, except for two heavy losses against Argentina and China, India was able to close the gap with top-ranked teams.
Impact of Injuries on Performance
The coach attributed the team’s struggles largely to injuries among key defenders. Nikki Pradhan, Udita, and Sushila Chanu were all sidelined before the Pro League, leaving the team short-handed.
This forced two midfielders, Jyoti Singh and Vaishnavi, into defensive roles, a significant shift. The team conceded over 50 penalty corners, with a high conversion rate against them, which was unexpected.
Another tough loss against Belgium was also explained by a one-match suspension and an early injury, reducing the team to 14 outfield players for most of the game.
The Ramifications of Relegation
Relegation from the Pro League will significantly impact India’s future playing calendar. Former coach Sjoerd Marijne, who guided the team in Tokyo, expressed concern.
Marijne highlighted the importance of the Pro League for providing consistent international matches, allowing teams to experiment, bring in new players, and develop a larger squad. He stressed that playing against the best teams is crucial for player development.
A “Reset” for Future Success
Harendra Singh, however, sees a silver lining in the relegation. He views it as an opportunity for the team to “reset” and rebuild confidence by playing against lower-ranked teams and developing a winning habit.
The coach also plans to arrange separate tours to play against top teams like Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands. This strategy aims to ensure the team still gets exposure to high-level competition while building morale.
Key Areas for Improvement
The team will focus on several critical areas in upcoming training camps. These include preventing soft penalty corners, improving defense when a penalty corner is conceded, and enhancing overall game management skills.
Decision-making in attacking areas and time management are also high on the agenda. To help with these aspects, a Bengaluru-based firm, Behavioural Foresight, has been hired to work with the team.
Singh emphasized the need for players to overcome hesitation and make confident decisions on the field. The forward line will also work on improving body positioning and converting circle penetrations into quality shots on goal, aiming to increase the volume of shots.
- India’s women’s hockey team was relegated from the FIH Pro League after finishing last.
- Coach Harendra Singh attributes poor results to key defensive injuries and forced positional changes, not player performance.
- Relegation impacts the team’s access to regular international matches, a concern for player development.
- The coach sees relegation as a chance to “reset,” rebuild confidence, and strategically arrange matches.
- Key improvement areas include penalty corner defense, game management, decision-making, and attacking efficiency.
The focus now shifts to rebuilding confidence and refining skills as the team prepares for the Asia Cup and future challenges.
