Amstelveen: India’s hopes of reaching the semifinals of the Men’s Hockey World Cup came to an end on Monday after Argentina defeated them 5 to 3 in a crucial second round match in Amstelveen.
The result was particularly painful for India because the team entered the match knowing that only a strong victory could keep its semifinal hopes alive. Instead, Argentina took control early, exposed India's defensive weaknesses and built a lead that proved too difficult to overcome. India fought back strongly in the later stages, but the recovery came too late.
Argentina started the match with remarkable intensity. Joaquín Toscani opened the scoring within the first minute, putting India under immediate pressure. Nicolás Della Torre then increased Argentina’s advantage through a penalty corner in the sixth minute.
India responded through Sukhjeet Singh, who gave the team hope by scoring in the first quarter. However, Argentina continued to control important areas of the field and looked more composed when creating chances.
The South American side extended its advantage in the later stages. Tomás Domene became one of the main figures of the match, scoring twice, while Lucas Toscani also found the net. Argentina eventually moved five goals ahead of India.
India refused to surrender. Sukhjeet Singh scored his second goal of the match and Hardik Singh converted a penalty stroke to bring India back to 5 to 3. The Indian team continued pushing forward and earned a late penalty corner, but Harmanpreet Singh could not convert the opportunity.
The final result ended India’s hopes of reaching the last four.
The defeat also highlighted a problem that had affected India throughout the tournament. The team showed attacking quality and created opportunities, but defensive mistakes repeatedly allowed opponents to score. Against Argentina, those mistakes were punished severely.
India had already suffered a 3 to 1 defeat against the Netherlands before drawing 0 to 0 with Australia. Those results left the team needing a major performance against Argentina. The pressure was therefore enormous when the players walked onto the field on Monday.
Argentina handled that pressure much better.
The defeat means India will now have to compete for seventh and eighth place rather than a semifinal position. The team’s World Cup campaign is therefore not completely over, but its medal hopes have disappeared.
For Indian hockey, the result is another disappointing chapter in a long wait for success at the World Cup. India won the men's World Cup in 1975, but have not returned to the podium since. The latest elimination means that wait continues.
The performance against Argentina will also raise questions about the team's preparation and ability to perform in high pressure matches. Head coach Craig Fulton acknowledged that India's slow start and difficulty dealing with the pressure played an important role in the defeat.
There were still positive moments. Sukhjeet Singh scored twice and India showed character by reducing a four goal deficit to two goals. The players continued attacking even when the match appeared to be slipping away. However, the late fightback could not compensate for the poor start and defensive errors.
Argentina, meanwhile, strengthened its position in the race for the semifinals. Their confidence was visible from the opening minutes, and they were able to turn India's mistakes into goals.
For India, the focus now shifts to finishing the tournament strongly. The team will have an opportunity to respond in the seventh and eighth place match and avoid ending the competition on another disappointing note.
The loss to Argentina will hurt, especially because India had entered the tournament with hopes of challenging for a place among the world's best. But the remaining match gives the players one final opportunity to show resilience, correct their mistakes and finish the World Cup with a performance that can provide some encouragement for the future.