More than half a century after captaining India to their only men’s Hockey World Cup title, Ajit Pal Singh has a simple piece of advice for the current team: forget about the pressure.
The 79-year-old, who led India to their only World Cup crown in Kuala Lumpur in 1975, believes Harmanpreet Singh and Co. should embrace the responsibility of representing the country without allowing expectations to dictate how they play.
“They should forget about the pressure,” Ajit Pal Singh told Olympics.com.
“At that level, they know they are representing the country and that hockey lovers are looking to them for worthwhile results. But they should not allow that pressure to get into their heads.
“They should concentrate on the actual game, focus on the match and try to give their best for the team.”
For Ajit Pal Singh, however, dealing with pressure is only part of the equation. The foundation of a successful hockey team, he insists, remains collective responsibility.
“Most importantly, they should play as a team. Individualism can be dangerous for a team because it can spoil the whole effort. Hockey is a team game.”
Ajit Pal Singh knows something about succeeding on the World Cup stage. A centre-half during his playing days, he captained India at the inaugural edition in 1971 before returning as skipper four years later and guiding the team to the title.
But he is reluctant to draw comparisons between his side and the one competing today.
“I don’t think we should compare the two. They are two very different teams,” he said.
“At that time, the team was really balanced, and the coordination and understanding among the players was exceptionally good. We played as a team. We were friends on and off the field and were very clear when dealing with each other.”
read more: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/ajit-pal-singh-india-hockey-world-cup-2026-pressure-teamwork
