India may not send hockey teams to 2022 Commonwealth Games

INDIA is unlikely to send its hockey teams to next year’s Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham, the UK, to ensure that they hit peak form during the Asian Games, which is a qualifier for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president Narinder Batra said this on Friday (3).

Batra said he has conveyed the same to Sandip Pradhan, the director general of the Sports Authority of India, which is the country’s apex national sports body, during a formal meeting held in New Delhi the same day.

Batra, who is also the chief of the International Hockey Federation and a former president of Hockey India, said India’s priority is achieving the peak form in both the men’s and women’s categories at the Asian Games, which begins 35 days after the Commonwealth Games.

Narinder Batra hugs Indian hockey player Harmanpreet Singh after India won bronze in the Tokyo Olympic Games 2021. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The Commonwealth Games will be held between July 28 and August 8 while the Asian Games will take place in Hangzhou in China between September 10 and 25. India have won two silver in Commonwealth men's hockey and finished fourth in the 2018 edition. The women's team won gold in the 2002 and silver in the 2006 edition and also finished fourth last time.

“Based on my preliminary discussions with Hockey India, it seems doubtful as of now whether Indian men and women hockey teams will participate in Commonwealth Games 2022,” Batra, who still holds considerable influence in Hockey India, said in a statement.

“Hockey India will not like its hockey athletes to peak 35 days before the Asian Games 2022 and would like the athletes to peak at the right time i.e., during the Asian Games 2022. The Commonwealth Games in 2022 are just 35 days before the Asian Games in China and in hockey the winners of Asian Games directly qualify for 2024 Paris Olympics. Hence, winning gold medal in the Asian Games is a must for both men & women’s hockey teams,” the IOA chief added.

India won their first Olympic medal in men’s hockey in the recently concluded Tokyo edition where they clinched bronze. It was after 41 years that they won a medal at the quadrennial event.

Indian women hockey players Vandana Katariya (L) celebrate a goal with Neha Neha during a game in the Tokyo Olympics 2020. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)

The women’s team also came close to making history but lost a thriller to Great Britain to finish fourth in the tournament, the same position they had held in the 1980 Games.

India’s participation at the Commonwealth Games next year looks to be much slimmer now, given the hockey teams are opting out besides the shooter and archers.

“The size of Indian contingent to Commonwealth Games 2022 will be much less than which went in 2018 as of now 36 hockey athletes, plus sports not included in 2022, i.e., approximately 18 shooting athletes and approximately 8 athletes from archery i.e. a total of 62 athletes may be less from 2018 Contingent,” Batra said, adding, “And the medals tally will also be proportionately less for India in 2022 Commonwealth Games.”

India sent a 216-strong contingent in the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast and finished third in the medal tally with 66 medals, including 26 gold, 20 silver and as many bronze.