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After the Hockey Pro League setback, how ready is India for this year's World Cup and Asian Games?
The Indian men’s hockey team has begun 2026 — a year of major stakes — on a worrying note. Four matches in the Rourkela leg of the FIH Pro League ended in four defeats, including a humiliating 8–0 loss to Argentina. With the Asian Games in Japan and the Hockey World Cup in the Netherlands and Belgium just months away, the results have raised uncomfortable questions.
Are these early-season stumbles merely part of a longer preparation cycle, or do they point to serious issues in defence, goalkeeping, fitness and mentality? Should youngsters have been blooded in earlier? And how much pressure is…
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