Hockey is not just a sport in India; it's a legacy, a part of the nation's identity, and a source of immense pride.
India's performance in hockey at the Asian Games mirrors this sentiment. They recently won the Asian Champions Trophy on home turf and will be gunning to replicate their performance in Hangzhou China in the 2023 Asian Games.
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En route to being crowned champions, they remained unbeaten and drew only one game, against Japan in the group stage but thrashed the same opponents 5-0 in the last four to secure a final berth.
The Asian Champions Trophy was the perfect stage to fine-tune the team ahead of the 2023 Asian Games. The men's and women's champions at the Asian Games will directly qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
India had struggled to express themselves in the Four-Nation tournament in Barcelona as they managed to win just one match. Battered and bruised they returned to India and were looking forward to the Asian Champions Trophy in home comforts.
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Fulton's defence-first approach is starkly different from Graham Reid's high-press tactics. The midfielders are the pillars of the system and they often looked like a fish out of water in Spain as they were frequently getting caught in transition.
They have been assigned a dual role which is more akin to a box-to-box midfielder. When India are in charge, they will push further up the pitch but have to fall back and defend while chasing.
The transition from offence to defence becomes an integral part of this style and the midfielders took their time to completely imbibe the philosophy. Nilakanta Sharma, Hardik Singh and Vivek Sagar Prasad are learning the trade and if their performance in the Asian Champions Trophy are anything to go by they will only get better with time.
Let's delve into the rich history of India's hockey journey at the Asian Games.
The Early Dominance (1958-1982): India's hockey dominance began early at the Asian Games. After winning silver in 1958 and 1962, they won gold for the first time in 1966 beating Pakistan by a slender margin of 1-0. Until 1978, India kept wining the silver medal and lost to arch-rivals Pakistan in every edition in the final.
Challenges and Resurgence(1986-1998): The 1986 Asian Games marked a turning point as India failed to reach the final and had to settle for the third spot. However, they bounced back to the second spot in 1990 and held it in 1994 after losing the final to Pakistan and South Korea respectively. In 1998, India recaptured the top spot in the podium after beating the Koreans in a penalty shootout to win gold after 32 years.
The Present Scenario (2002-present): India have made a podium finish in hockey in every edition of the Asian Games in the 20th century, barring 2006. In 2002, they won silver and eight years later in China, they won bronze. In 2014, they once again captured gold after defeating Pakistan and four years back they won bronze after getting the better of the same opponents.
How many medals have the Indian Men's Hockey team won in the Asian Games?
India have three gold, nine silver ]and three bronze medals in Asian Games history.
| Year | Medal |
| 1958 | Silver |
| 1962 | Silver |
| 1966 | Gold |
| 1970 | Silver |
| 1974 | Silver |
| 1978 | Silver |
| 1982 | Silver |
| 1986 | Bronze |
| 1990 | Silver |
| 1994 | Silver |
| 1998 | Gold |
| 2002 | Silver |
| 2006 | 5th |
| 2010 | Bronze |
| 2014 | Gold |
| 2018 | Bronze |
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