World Cup failure boosts Asian Games golden ride: Shilanand Lakra

KOLKATA: The disappointment of a poor World Cup campaign could have derailed India’s Olympic ambitions. Instead, the setback became a rallying point for the Indian men’s hockey team as they fought their way to a second consecutive Asian Games gold and a berth at the Los Angeles Olympics.Reflecting on the turnaround, Shilanand Lakra said the team made a conscious decision to put the World Cup debacle behind them and focus solely on securing an Olympic berth. In the quadrennial held in the Netherlands and Belgium earlier in the year, India finished eighth with just two wins from six matches.“We knew we had to improve, especially in attack,” Lakra told TOI. “But instead of thinking too far ahead, we decided to take things one game at a time. We always focused on our own performance.”Coach Craig Fulton’s message after the World Cup was just as simple. As he said, “These are lessons, and the only way to treat them as lessons learned is to turn them into action.”And Lakra, who hails from Odisha, believes the team has done just that. “We accepted that our performance at the World Cup was not up to par and understood that consistency would be key. The aim was to maintain a high standard in every game and stay focused.”The team was duly rewarded, winning gold with an all-win record.The triumph had special meaning for the 27-year-old, who overcame major setbacks both on and off the field a few years ago. Lakra spent nearly two years on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury in 2022 that required ACL, PCL and meniscus surgery. He also suffered the loss of his father during his rehabilitation, making his eventual return to the Indian team all the more remarkable.While winning his first major gold medal naturally took precedence over everything else, he also valued being part of a special team.“Spending time with the senior players, learning from their experience and sharing ideas was invaluable. They taught us the importance of staying focused on our own game and not worrying about the opposition or external distractions,” added the striker, who scored six goals in seven games after failing to find the net once during the World Cup.One of the defining moments of the campaign in Asia was the push against Pakistan. Despite maintaining the upper hand, India allowed their opponents back into the match through some costly errors. But even as the tempo shifted, the team remained confident and eventually secured a 4-3 win with a last-minute goal.“Our mindset was to fight until the last second and finish strong. We knew there was a possibility of a shootout, although our goal was always to win in regulation time,” he said.With an Olympic berth secured and an Asian Games gold medal around his neck, Lakra’s attention has already shifted to the next cycle. “The next two years will be important and I will focus on continuing to improve and help the team achieve bigger goals,” added Lakra.Let’s hope he pulls it off and makes it to the LA Olympics where India will be aiming for a third straight Olympic medal after bronze medals in Tokyo and Paris.