After India and Pakistan played out a series of mouth-watering cricket matches in the recent past, it’s time for the arch-rivals to clash on the hockey field. The neighbours have been drawn into the same pool (D) alongside England and Wales for the quadrennial competition to be played in Belgium and the Netherlands from August 14 to 30.
This will mark the first time India and Pakistan face each other at a Hockey World Cup since the 2010 edition in New Delhi, where India won 4-1 at the Major Dhyan Chand National Stadium. Pakistan did not qualify for the 2014 edition. In 2018 at Bhubaneswar, the two teams were placed in separate groups and Pakistan failed to reach the knockout stage. Pakistan then failed to qualify for the 2023 edition in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela.
1971 World Cup: India players celebrate teammate Rajwinder Singh’s (left) opening goal against Pakistan in the semi-finals at Amstelveen, Netherlands. India went on to lose the match 1-2
Legendary rivalry
India and Pakistan’s hockey rivalry is legendary, but none more intense than in 1971 and 1973. In 1971, Pakistan launched the inaugural World Cup edition, only for it to be moved to Barcelona, Spain (October 15-24) due to growing Indo-Pak political tension. In 1973, players from both sides were on edge as this was their first World Cup meeting after the 1971 war.
Hockey wizard Dhyan Chand’s son Ashok Kumar was part of the 1971, 1973 and 1975 World Cup teams and insists you could cut the tension between both camps with a knife.
1973 World Cup: India’s BP Govinda (left, partly hidden) beats Pakistan goalkeeper Pervez Munir (right) to score the winning goal in the semi-finals at Barcelona, Spain
“The political situation between both countries was terrible then and due to some statements made by their leaders against India, the inaugural World Cup was moved from Pakistan to Spain. It was only obvious that the political heat would spread among players too,” Ashok Kumar tells mid-day over the phone from Udaipur, where he’s currently training a bunch of kids as part of a Rajasthan government hockey initiative.
“In 1971, we lost to Pakistan [1-2] in the semis. To be honest, there was an uneasy calm in the air between the players from either side. Given the ongoing tensions back home, it was like seeing your enemy in front of you. We wanted to beat them at all costs, and when we lost, [team manager] Balbir [Singh Sr] cried bitterly. He kept saying that he didn’t know how he would face people back home after losing to Pakistan. We returned home from Spain in late October and soon the Indo-Pak war broke out [December 3-16]. This made us feel even more horrible because we had lost to the enemy on the hockey pitch,” says Ashok Kumar, 76.
1975 World Cup: India captain Ajit Pal Singh receives the World Cup trophy from Malaysian Premier Tun Abdul Razak in Kuala Lumpur. Pics courtesy: Sportsweek
1973 was even more tense
Two years later, the tensions only increased. “We clashed again in the World Cup semi-final in the Netherlands. There were some harsh tackles during the match and both Indian and Pakistani players were hurling abuses at each other because the 1971 war was still fresh in our minds. We beat Pakistan 1-0 in one of the most intense matches ever and then celebrated the win with equal intensity,” adds Ashok Kumar.
Of course, the 1975 edition in Malaysia was historic. India beat Pakistan 2-1 in the final thanks to Ashok Kumar’s match-winner and clinched its first and only World Cup till date.
Asian All Stars in 1974
“In 1974, the Indian team travelled to Pakistan without visas to participate in the Asian All Stars competition, where we played matches in Karachi, Rawalpindi and Lahore, so tensions had eased and things were very friendly at the 1975 World Cup. But our fans still had high expectations and I became an overnight hero, not just because my goal helped India win the World Cup, but because I had scored the winner against Pakistan,” says Ashok Kumar.
Hockey, or for that matter any sport, does not need unnecessary aggression, and Ashok Kumar is glad that things have sobered down. “Currently, India are a far superior team than Pakistan, so I don’t see Harmanpreet Singh & Co having any problems in beating them at this World Cup. It’s a lot easier to play when you’re not carrying the burden of a war.” Ashok Kumar signs off.
One
No. of hockey World Cups India has won
16
No. of years since India last played Pak in a World Cup
1-2
Score by which India lost to Pak in 1971 World Cup semis
1-0
Score by which India beat Pak in 1973 World Cup
2-1
Score by which India beat Pak in 1975 World Cup final
2026 FIH World Cup pools
Pool A
Netherlands, Argentina, NZ, Japan
Pool B
Belgium, Germany, France, Malaysia
Pool C
Australia, Spain, Ireland, South Africa
Pool D
England, India, Pakistan, Wales
