Yearender 2023: Indian men's hockey rose from the Ashes
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Manuja Veerappa
Indian players celebrating their gold-medal win at the Asian Games in Hangzhou (PTI Photo)
On a nippy night at the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium in Rourkela in January, Indian men’s hockey skipper Harmanpreet Singh led his team’s lap of honour, acknowledging the unflinching support of the spectators. The joy and the cheers were misleading enough to create an impression that India had ended their 48-year-old wait for a gold at the World Cup. In reality, the hosts had just carved out a hardfought 5-2 win over South Africa to finish joint ninth with Argentina.