FIH hockey year-end rankings: Indian men to finish 2021 at No. 3, women drop to ninth
Tokyo Olympics silver medallists Australia lead the men’s table while the Netherlands top the women’s rankings.
The Indian men’s hockey team retained its best-ever third position in the latest FIH hockey rankings despite finishing third in the Asian Champions Trophy earlier this month.
In August, India, led by captain Manpreet Singh**,** created history by winning bronze at Tokyo 2020. It was India’s first Olympic medal since the gold at the Moscow 1980 Olympics.
India, with 2296.038 ranking points, will close the year trailing Tokyo 2020 champions Belgium and toppers Australia.
The Tokyo Olympics finalists Australia (2642.25 points) and Belgium (2632.12) are separated by just 10 points.
The Netherlands are fourth with 2234.33 points followed by Germany men at fifth. England, Argentina, New Zealand, Spain, and Malaysia follow in this order to complete the top 10.
The Indian men’s hockey team returns to action in the FIH Pro League from February 2022.
The Indian women’s hockey team, meanwhile, slipped a spot in the rankings to end the year at ninth after withdrawing from the COVID-19-affected Women’s Asian Champions Trophy in South Korea.
Indian women too enjoyed a successful 2021, attaining their joint best-ever fourth finish at the Olympics after losing 4-3 to Great Britain in the play-off for bronze.
The Rani Rampal-led side have 1810.321 points while the Netherlands are on top with 3015.356 points.
England women are a distant second with 2375.78 points while Olympic silver medallists Argentina are third with 2361.28 ranking points.
The Indian women’s team will be next seen in action at the Women’s Asia Cup 2022 in Thailand from January 21.