Eight players from Punjab have earned places in the Indian men’s hockey team for the FIH Hockey World Cup 2026, to be held in the Netherlands and Belgium from August 15 to 30.
The Punjab players have captain Harmanpreet Singh, former captain Manpreet Singh, Hardik Singh, Germanpreet Singh, Jugraj Singh, Sukhjeet Singh, Dilpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh. Among them, Manpreet, Hardik, Mandeep and Sukhjeet hail from Jalandhar, while others have strong ties to the city, having honed their skills at Surjit Hockey Stadium.
Manpreet, who recently became India’s most-capped hockey player, is the most experienced member. The former captain continues to be one of the pillars of the national team.
Related news: 4 Jalandhar players in India squad for Hockey World Cup
Sukhjeet Singh’s journey is equally inspiring. After battling partial paralysis a few years ago, he fought his way back to represent India at the Paris Olympics, where the team won the bronze medal.
On that achievement, Sukhjeet had earlier told The Tribune, “The day we won the bronze medal, I was up all night, looking back at my life’s journey. Life had never been easy; I had struggled with my health… I had come a long way.”
Congratulating the selected players, Hockey Punjab president Nitin Kohli and general secretary Amrik Singh Powar expressed confidence in India’s chances at the World Cup. They said Punjab was proud that Harmanpreet Singh would once again captain the national side, while Manpreet Singh’s vast experience would be invaluable to the team.
“The team is an ideal blend of experienced senior players and talented young players. We are confident India has the potential to win the World Cup,” they said.
8 Punjab players named in India squad for FIH Hockey World Cup 2026
