Unfortunate decision, we were targeting gold: Harmanpreet on hockey's exclusion from CWG 2026

New Delhi, Oct 22 (IANS) Indian men's hockey team captain Harmpreet Singh called the decision to exclude hockey from the 2026 Commonwealth Games as 'unfortunate' and revealed that his side was targeting gold in the tournament. 

On the eve of taking reigning world champion Germany in a bilateral series at Major Dhyan Chand Stadium here, Indian men's team head coach Craig Fulton and Harmanpreet were addressing a pre-match press conference when they got to know about the development.

"I need time to think about that. It is what it is. Unfortunate (decision), and at the same time, I'm thinking about today and what's gonna happen tomorrow and the day after. That's for down the line, that's for another time to figure, discuss ramifications and what happens next," said Fulton.

Harmanpreet echoed the same sentiments and added, "I just got to know now. I'm also on the same page. We were targeting a gold medal in that tournament but unfortune to hear this news now. It is not in our hands and we can't think about it and at present the two matches (against Germany) are important for us."

India have never won the gold medal in men's hockey in CWG despite reaching the finals in 2010, 2014 and 2022, losing to Australia on all three occasions.

The women's hockey team won the only gold medal for India in CWG in 2002 in Manchester. Interestingly, the men's team did not participate in the 2002 edition.

The 23rd edition of the CWG is set to be held in Glasgow from July 23 to August 2, 2026, and will feature only 10 sports with the exclusion of hockey, cricket, wrestling, table tennis, badminton and squash. Shooting, which was also dropped from the Birmingham 2022 CWG programme, is still out. There were 19 sports on the programme when Glasgow hosted the CWG in 2014.

In most of the sports which have been dropped from the Games, India won multiple medals in Birmingham.

India won 61 medals including 22 gold in the last edition of the Games. Of their total tally, 12 came from wrestling, seven each in boxing and table tennis, six in badminton, two each in hockey and squash and one in cricket - more than half of the total medals.

--IANS

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