Exclusive | The Meghalayan Express | By Prarthana Hazarika
New Delhi, Oct 6: India’s historic double triumph in hockey at the Asian Games has done more than add two gold medals to the country’s sporting record. For women’s hockey in particular, the victory could become a turning point—one that inspires a new generation of Indian girls to pick up the stick, dream of the Olympics and believe that hockey can offer them both sporting glory and a secure future.
Speaking exclusively to The Meghalayan Express, former India international and Hockey India Selection Committee Chairman RP Singh said the women’s team’s success after a long wait has the potential to create a powerful ripple effect among young athletes across the country.
Singh believes sporting success has a direct influence on young people. When a team performs at the highest level, he said, youngsters become attracted to the sport and begin imagining themselves as part of that journey.
“This victory is a very big victory, especially the women’s victory after 44 years. It is a matter of great pride for us,” Singh said.
For Indian women’s hockey, the significance goes beyond the medal itself. The team’s Asian Games triumph secured direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games, removing the uncertainty and pressure associated with the qualification route.
According to Singh, that Olympic dream was very much part of the team’s motivation.
The Hockey India Selection Committee, he explained, had been working towards the Asian Games objective for well over a year. Players were given exposure against foreign teams and through different tournaments, with the larger goal of building a squad capable of winning the Asian Games and securing direct Olympic qualification.
The result was historic: India’s men’s and women’s hockey teams both emerged Asian Games champions, securing direct berths for Los Angeles 2028.
But Singh believes the greatest impact could be felt away from the stadium.
For young girls watching the Indian women’s team succeed on the biggest stage, the message is simple—hockey can be a pathway to a bigger future.
Singh pointed out that sporting success can bring recognition from the government, state authorities and society, along with opportunities related to employment and financial security.
Many hockey players, he noted, have not always enjoyed strong financial security. However, victories of this magnitude can change how families perceive sport as a career.
“When people around them see that playing hockey can create opportunities, the craze for hockey increases. Children also start thinking that if they play, they too can achieve something,” Singh said.
That, perhaps, is the most important legacy of the women’s victory.
For years, Indian women’s hockey has fought for recognition, resources and a place alongside the country’s more commercially celebrated sports. A major international victory can now give young girls something more powerful than inspiration—it gives them a visible pathway.
Singh also believes the Asian Games success can help revive the wider connection between India and its national sport.
India’s hockey history stretches across generations, but the Asian Games have now provided another landmark chapter, with the men’s and women’s teams winning gold together.
The focus, however, has already shifted towards the next challenge.
Hockey India’s immediate calendar includes the men’s Asian Hockey Championship in Punjab from October 27 to November 5, followed by the women’s competition around November and December. Singh said these tournaments will also provide opportunities to assess and develop players as India begins its longer preparation for Los Angeles 2028.
“The main target now is the 2028 Olympics,” he said, stressing that the next two years must be used for preparation, improvement and identifying players who can take Indian hockey forward.
The Asian Games gold, therefore, is not being viewed as an endpoint.
For Singh, every victory must become a foundation for the next challenge.
And for Indian girls watching their hockey heroes return home as Asian champions, the message could be even bigger: the Olympic dream is no longer distant—it is a possibility worth chasing.
