The year 2022 has also been a good year for Indian hockey but the women’s team fared slightly better than the men’s team by winning a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games after 16 years. Indian men’s and women’s teams won medals at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games. While the Indian men’s team won the silver medal, the women’s team managed to reach the podium after 16 years. The Indian women’s team won the gold medal at the 2002 Manchester Commonwealth Games and the silver medal four years later at Melbourne.
The Indian women’s team defeated Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games champions New Zealand 2-1 in the penalty shootout to clinch a medal. At the end of the year, the women’s team proved that the Commonwealth Games medal was no fluke by winning the FIH Nations Cup in Valencia. The women’s team remained unbeaten in the Nations Cup and won the title to make it to the Pro League. The women’s team finished third in the Pro League in the 2021-22 season but could not make it to the 2022-23 season.
The women’s team started the year on a bright note by finishing third in the Asia Cup. They defeated China 2–0 in the bronze medal match. The Indian junior team, however, lost 0-2 to England in the bronze medal match of the Junior World Cup in South Africa in April. The women’s team did not fare well in the World Cup, finishing ninth, but made a good comeback a month later by winning a medal in Birmingham.
The Indian men’s team also got success in 2022. These include winning a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games, but even then they had to face a crushing 0-7 defeat at the hands of Australia in the final. The Indian men’s team started the year with a third-place finish at the Asia Cup in Jakarta. He then won the first ‘five a side’ tournament in Lausanne. Meanwhile, India’s Under-21 team won the title by defeating Australia in the Sultan of Johor Cup.
The Indian team played three matches in the Pro League, out of which they defeated New Zealand in two matches but lost to Spain. At the end of the year, the Indian team toured Australia for a five-match series, which they lost 1–4. The Indian team will now aim to do well in the World Cup to be held in Bhubaneswar and Rourkela from January 13 to 29. The year 2022 also saw changes in Hockey India with former captain Dilip Tirkey becoming its president while Hockey Jharkhand’s Bhola Nath Singh became its secretary.
