New Delhi,Indian men's hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh termed the decision to exclude hockey from the Commonwealth Games2026 as 'unfortunate' and revealed that his team was aiming to win gold in the tournament.
Indian men's team head coach Craig Fulton and Harmanpreet addressed the issue at the prematch conference ahead of the bilateral series with defending world champions Germany at the Major Dhyan Chand Stadium.
Fulton said, “This decision is unfortunate, however I need time to think about it. Right now our focus is on this match.”
Harmanpreet said, “I just came to know. I also think the same. We were aiming to win the gold medal in that tournament, but now it is sad to hear this news. It is not in our hands and we are yet to know more about it.” Can't even imagine. Right now the two matches against Germany are important for us.”
India has never won a gold medal in men's hockey at the Commonwealth Games, although it reached the finals in 2010, 2014 and 2022, losing to Australia all three times.
The women's hockey team won India's only gold medal in the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester. Interestingly, the men's team did not participate in the 2002 edition.
The 23rd edition of the Commonwealth Games will be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2, 2026. It will include only 10 sports except hockey, cricket, wrestling, table tennis, badminton and squash.
Shooting, which was removed from the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games program and is still out. When Glasgow hosted the Commonwealth Games in 2014, the program featured 19 sports.
India won several medals in most of the sports that were excluded from the Games in Birmingham.
India had won 61 medals, including 22 gold, in the last edition of the Games. Of their total medals, 12 came from wrestling, 7 each from boxing and table tennis, 6 each from badminton, 2 each from hockey and squash, while one came from cricket. This figure is more than half of the total medals, which means India has suffered a huge loss.
—
– .
Image Credit: KhasKhabar.