4 or more pensions on the cards? Inside Indian Hockey’s transition to LA28
Hockey India has a clear plan for its transition process ahead of the LA 2028 Olympics. And when it comes to senior players who may be nearing the end of their international careers, the message from the federation is equally clear: the door will not be closed to anyone who feels it is time to leave.
Ahead of the Asian Champions Trophy, the four players were widely tipped to head east after the tournament. Nilakanta Sharma has since confirmed that Thursday’s final will be his last international match, while Mandeep Singh, Jarmanpreet Singh and Amit Rohidas have made it clear that they want to continue playing.
But according to Hockey India chairman of selectors RP Singh, the number of departures is far from decided.
“It could be four, six, less or even more.
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Singh said the onus will ultimately rest on the players themselves to assess whether they can maintain the standards required to compete in the 2028 Olympics.
“As for the four players you mentioned, it could be four, six, less or even more. Nothing is certain at this stage.”
“We have now qualified for the Olympics in both the men’s and women’s categories by winning the Asian Games. We are lucky to have about one and a half to two years to prepare. Now we have to build a team for the future, with an eye on the 2028 Olympics.”
“A lot of players may not be able to sustain themselves until 2028. They need to assess themselves. Every player understands their game and knows what they are capable of achieving. When you sit alone and honestly assess yourself, you know if you can continue at the level you want,” Mr Singh said.
Players need to know when it’s time to back off
For Singh, the transition is not just about the selectors deciding who stays and who goes. He believes the older players themselves should take a hard look at where they are physically and mentally, especially with LA 2028 now firmly on the horizon.
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His message was straightforward: if a player feels he no longer has the legs to make it to the Olympics, he should be willing to make the call himself.
“My personal view is that this is an opportunity for players who feel they may not be able to sustain themselves until 2028 to push themselves. They should understand that they may not be able to maintain the fitness they want.”
“If anyone feels that, they should come and decide for themselves. They played here in front of 15,000 spectators and millions will be watching on TV across the participating countries,” Mr Singh said.
New core group for LA 2028
With India’s Olympic qualification secured through the Asian Games, Singh believes one cycle has truly ended and another has begun.
The next phase will be about building a new core group for LA 2028, but it doesn’t necessarily mean a complete overhaul. Experience will still have its place alongside youth, performance and fitness will decide who stays in the picture.
“Our core group for the Olympics will be prepared with a combination of new and experienced players. It could include both young and older players. Whoever can maintain their performance and fitness until 2028 will have a chance.”
“If someone can’t maintain those standards, they may not find a place in the starting group. That decision will depend on their performance.”
“The country has to come first. They’ve all spent 10-12 years together and it’s not easy when someone has to leave the team. It hurts both the person who has to make that decision and the player who is left out.”
“But this is the reality of sports. One player leaves for another to come,” Singh said.
Age doesn’t decide who stays
One of the biggest questions about India’s transition was whether seniority or simply being over a certain age could become a barrier for players.
Singh dismissed the idea.
There is no fixed age when the door will appear to the player. Instead, the selectors and Hockey India coach Craig Fulton will assess fitness, skill, performance and most importantly whether the player fits into the team’s system.
“Age is not a criterion. Where is it written that we should select an 18-year-old or a 20-year-old even if he cannot play at the required level?”
“It’s a combination of fitness and skill. It’s a skill-based sport. We’re not doing a marathon or a 100-meter sprint where we’re choosing who can run the fastest or run the distance.”
“The selection depends on the situation and the system we follow. We have to assess which player fits the team. The coach and the selectors sit together and make a decision.”
This approach could open the door to both established names and players waiting for their first big opportunity, provided they can prove they belong at the required level.
Domestic hockey will play a bigger role
If Hockey India is serious about building for 2028, the transition cannot depend solely on the existing national fund. The home circuit will have to become a much bigger part of the process and Singh indicated that work has already begun.
The Senior National Championship was one of the first checkpoints where selectors were sent to identify potential candidates. Hockey India League will give players another opportunity to express themselves.
“Recently we had the senior national championship which was held from October 10 to 21. We sent our selectors there and they identified some players.
“We already have some players in our system. The Hockey India League is also coming up and we have recently given opportunities to four or five players.”
“After a joint assessment of all these players, we will organize a national team camp of at least seven to 10 days. It is not like someone performs well in one tournament and gets selected immediately. It will be a proper national team camp where we will test everything, including fitness,” Singh said.
The message is clear: one good tournament will not be enough. Players will have to survive a longer evaluation process before being considered for national settings.
The core group will not be set in stone
Perhaps the biggest change in approach could be the idea of a flexible core group.
Rather than picking a group of players and sticking with them for an extended period of time, Singh wants the pool to remain under constant scrutiny. Performance will be decisive and players who do not meet the required standards may lose their place.
“We also have a plan for the future. Once the core squad is formed, we cannot simply leave it unchanged for a long time. We will have to review it every three or six months. If a player is not performing at the required level, we must always be able to make changes,” said Mr Singh.
This could make the next two years particularly competitive for India’s hockey players. Established names will have to continually prove themselves while the younger generation will have a real path into the senior environment.
And that process could start sooner rather than later.
India’s next task is a tour of New Zealand where the young side is expected to get an opportunity. For Hockey India, the move towards LA 2028 is no longer an afterthought.
It’s already started.
– The end