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Sports

No Indian umpires at Hockey World Cup after 28 years sparks calls for reform

hellohimachalse@gmail.com 07 Aug 2026 59 min ago

New Delhi: For the first time in nearly three decades, no Indian umpire or technical official will be present at the FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup, which has left former international officials disappointed. They have called for a structured pathway to ensure greater representation at major global events.

This is the first time since the 1998 World Cup in Utrecht that the Hockey World Cup will not have any Indian umpire or technical official. India have produced only four men’s World Cup umpires in the modern era, including Amarjit Singh Bawa (1990), Tarlok Singh Bhullar (1994), Satinder Sharma (2002, 2006, 2010) and R V Raghu Prasad (2010, 2014, 2018 and 2023).

Former Indian officials disappointed

Raghu Prasad is the first umpire from Asia to officiate in 200 international matches before announcing his retirement last year. He said that appointments for major events are based on sustained performances in top-level competitions.

“The FIH Umpiring Committee selects officials for major tournaments after assessing performances in previous World Cups, the Olympics, the Pro League and other international competitions. Consistency over a period of time is the biggest criterion,” he told PTI.

Satinder Sharma, who officiated in multiple Olympics and World Cups, said that it was not easy for them to establish themselves among the European officials.

“After Bawa Sir and Bhullar Sir, Raghu and I carried forward that legacy. It was never easy to establish ourselves among the European officials. Our men’s team did not qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but I was still India’s only representative there as an official. That shows how much importance is attached to consistent performances. At present, I feel we are lagging behind,” Sharma said.

According to Hockey India’s list, which was updated in May 2025, the men’s umpiring structure comprises four categories, which include Core Leading Panel, Leading Panel, High Potential and National Umpires with over 100 officials, while the women’s structure has more than 70 officials.

There are only six Indian men and four women on the FIH umpiring panel, with Raghu’s retirement reducing the active number further. Similarly, the country has only four men’s and two women’s FIH technical officials despite having a good domestic pool.

 

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