New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- India enters the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 with history on their shoulders and a new generation ready to create its own chapter.

Fifty-one years after India's lone triumph at the FIH Men's Hockey World Cup, the echoes of 1975 continue to linger in the nation's hockey consciousness. That title-winning campaign, led by captain Ajit Pal Singh in Kuala Lumpur, remains a cherished chapter in Indian sporting folklore -- a reminder of an era when hockey was woven deeply into the country's sporting identity, according to a release.

As the FIH Hockey World Cup Belgium and Netherlands 2026 gets underway on August 15, India return to the global stage with that rich legacy behind them, but with a clear understanding that...