New Delhi, Aug. 14 -- In a quest for their first World Cup medal in five decades, the Indian men's hockey team will begin their journey in the 2026 edition against Wales in a Pool D fixture on Saturday. With eight gold medals at the Olympics, India have failed to replicate the same in the World Cup, as their line gold in the competition came in 1975, beating Pakistan in the final in Kuala Lumpur.

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 history cannot win matches. For captain Harmanpreet Singh and his team, the challenge is to turn nostalgia into motivation and reputation into results.

India...