Bhopal, May 15 (IANS) Former India captains Sardar Singh and Rani Rampal have praised Hockey India’s long-term vision for youth development, highlighting the federation’s focus on grassroots programmes and international exposure as key pillars for the future of Indian hockey.

Currently serving as coaches of the India U-18 men’s and women’s teams, respectively, the two legends are overseeing preparations for a four-match exposure series against the Australian U-18 sides at SAI Bhopal. The series, beginning on Friday, serves as crucial preparation ahead of the Men’s and Women’s U-18 Asia Cup 2026 in Kakamigahara, Japan, later this month.

Addressing the media ahead of the series, both Sardar and Rani underlined the importance of structured development pathways for young players and welcomed Hockey India’s efforts to strengthen the talent pipeline from an early age.

“This is a great initiative by Hockey India at this stage because focusing on our young players at an early age is extremely important. These are the players who will go on to represent India in the future,” said Sardar.

The former India men’s captain also pointed to the federation’s growing emphasis on grassroots competitions and player support systems nationwide.

“Hockey India is doing a tremendous job at the grassroots level through Sub Junior and Junior National Championships across divisions every year. They have also been distributing kits to players across states. If we continue to improve infrastructure, coaching and support systems like that, Indian hockey will reach new heights,” Sardar added.

Rani, who has been instrumental in shaping India’s women’s hockey rise over the past decade, echoed similar sentiments while stressing the value of early international exposure for young athletes.

“I would like to thank Hockey India for these U-18 initiatives for our young players. It has never happened before that players in this age group have had the opportunity to compete against a team like Australia. This is a massive learning experience for them,” she stated.

The former India women’s captain also highlighted how early exposure to tours can prepare players for future international events and help them adjust to the demands of elite-level hockey.

“The average age of these girls is around 15-16 years. They have a long future ahead of them and can go on to represent India at events like the 2030 Commonwealth Games and the 2032 and 2036 Olympics. This exposure at an early stage will play a huge role in their development,” she added.

The upcoming series against Australia is expected to provide India’s young players with valuable experience against strong international opposition, while also giving the coaching staff an opportunity to assess combinations ahead of the continental tournament in Japan.

Hockey India’s increasing focus on youth competitions, structured pathways and international exposure reflects its broader strategy to build sustained success for Indian hockey in the years to come.

The India U-18 men’s and women’s teams will each play four matches against the Australia U-18 teams in Bhopal. The schedule of the matches is as follows:

Men’s:

May 15, 5:00 PM IST (Friday)

May 17, 7:00 PM IST (Sunday)

May 18, 5:00 PM IST (Monday)

May 20, 10:00 AM IST (Wednesday)

Women’s:

May 15, 7:00 PM IST (Friday)

May 17, 5:00 PM IST (Sunday)

May 18, 7:30 PM IST (Monday)

May 20, 8:00 AM IST (Wednesday)

–IANS

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