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FIH World Cup: Skipper Harmanpreet leads India to 3-1 victory over Wales
India made an impressive start by going offensive from the start. Though Wales had a good move when the Indian defense, including the goalkeeper, was beaten by Jack Pritchard, his shot was a little wide as he hit it off the boards from outside.
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Prabhjot Paul Singh - Sat, 15, Aug 2026
- 11:58 EDT
- 52
India team at their opening World Cup match against Wales / X@TheHockeyIndia
It was a great gift to the nation on its Independence Day, as the Indian hockey team made a triumphant start in the FIH World Cup Hockey Tournament at Wagener Stadium in Amsterdam. India beat Wales 3-1 after taking a comfortable 2-0 lead in the opening quarter of the opening match in the men’s section in Amstelveen.
All three goals for India came from penalty corners, while Wales had the consolation of scoring a field goal from a goalmouth melee. The hero of the Indian team was none other than the skipper Harmanpreet Singh, who scored twice, while deep defender Sanjay gave India a penalty corner conversion.
Since 2020, India and Wales have met twice before, with India winning 4-1 and then 4-2, the second meeting coming at the 2023 World Cup. Furlong scored in both games.
Earlier in the opening game in Amstelveen, Australia defeated Japan 2-0 in the women’s section.
Though the Wagener Stadium, with a capacity of 10,00,0 was nearly empty for the Australia-Japan game, it was almost two-thirds filled for the India-Wales game. Several supporters of the Indian team from other parts of Europe and North America turned up to cheer the 1975 World Cup winners.
Jugraj Singh, whose hockey sticks failed to clear the test yesterday, was not named in the squad of 16 for the game.
Though India won with a convincing margin, failure of the forwards to score a field goal may be worrying the team management, as it has tougher games against England and Pakistan ahead.
India made an impressive start by going offensive from the start. Though Wales had a good move when the Indian defense, including the goalkeeper, was beaten by Jack Pritchard, his shot was a little wide as he hit it off the boards from outside.
India beat Wales 3-1 in their opening Pool D game of the FIH World Cup 2026 in Amstelveen
— Hockey India (@TheHockeyIndia) August 15, 2026
Swipe through the match-day moments from India’s winning start. #HockeyIndia #IndiaKaGame #HWC2026 #INDvsWAL pic.twitter.com/AwBdOHHogL
India quickly recovered from the shock and mounted back pressure and consolidated its position before the end of the quarter with a goal from skipper Harmanpreet Singh in the 14th minute. A rasping drag flick from Harmanpreet could not hit the target, and a minute later, when the second penalty corner followed, it was Sanjay who made no mistake to put India ahead.
In fact, India missed a couple of other chances of taking the lead. Jarman attempted a reverse flick from the top of the circle in the 10th minute. His shot was, however, deflected out by the Wales custodian.
Debutant Rajinder Singh had a chance, but when he essayed a powerful grounder from the top of the circle, it just failed to clear the Wales defence.
Harmanpreet Singh shot a little wide of the target from the fourth penalty corner.
At the start of the second quarter, India forced its fifth penalty corner. India’s dominance was so complete that Wales had to wait till 56th minute to get its first penalty corner.
Once again, India’s vulnerability to panic in the closing stages of the game was apparent as it conceded a penalty corner and a goal, though from a goalmouth melee, minutes before the final whistle.
India needs to buckle up its defence while retaining its calm and tactical strategy to stave off any threats to the goal.
In the third quarter, when India got yet another penalty corner, Harmanpreet sounded the boards with a powerful grounder. At the end of the quarter, India had taken its lead to 3-0.
When Wales got its first penalty corner in the 54th minute, it was Indian goalkeeper Karketta who made a brilliant save of a powerful flick by James Tyson. There was a commotion following a goalmouth melee as the Indian defence failed to clear the ball. The ground umpire awarded a penalty stroke, though Sam Walsh had put the ball past the struggling Indian goalkeeper. The video umpire, however, overruled the ground umpire and, instead of ratifying his decision of a penalty stroke, awarded a field goal to Wales.
Indian camp was jubilant as it got a maximum of three points from the game, besides making a winning start in the elite FIH tournament.
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