FIH World Cup 2026: 28 years after Pritam Siwach, son Yashdeep set for debut

For Indian hockey legend Pritam Siwach, Saturday's 2026 FIH Men's World Cup opener against Wales will be more than just another match.

Twenty-eight years after she represented India at the 1998 World Cup in the Netherlands, Pritam will watch her son Yashdeep make his senior debut at the game's biggest stage in the same country where she once wore the national jersey.

For the proud mother, it is a moment that brings back memories of her own international career — and an opportunity to see her son achieve what she could not.

"It will be a huge moment for me. My son will now play at the same venue where I played the World Cup. I was in the Netherlands but came back recently and will now watch the match on TV. I have told him on the phone this morning that you have to fulfil your mother's unfulfilled dream," Pritam said.

Pritam was part of India's 1998 World Cup campaign, years before Yashdeep was born. Now 25, the defender has established himself in the senior team and will make his maiden appearance at the World Cup, having made his India debut in 2022.

He has already experienced the pressure of a major international tournament, representing India at the 2021 Junior World Cup, but the senior World Cup represents a different challenge.

"I believe this team will return with a medal. The team looks so strong and morale is high. We have played against big teams regularly and our preparation seems solid," said Pritam, who has nurtured several international players through her hockey academy.

The former striker sees a marked difference between her playing style and that of her son.

"He plays very calmly and learns quickly, whereas my daughter Kanika and I are more aggressive players. Perhaps positioning also has an impact, as he is a defender and we are strikers," she said with a smile.

Watching her son take the field at a venue that holds so many memories is also likely to bring back the difficult years of her own career.

"It wasn't easy to leave my infant child behind and be at camps or tournaments, but the sacrifices were more from my family than from me," she recalled.

Those sacrifices, however, found their reward when India won the Commonwealth Games gold in Manchester.

Now, as she watches her son embark on his own World Cup journey, Pritam also has a message for the Indian women's team, urging them to treat the marquee tournament as an opportunity not just to win a medal but to inspire countless young girls to take up the sport.

"The future of women's hockey in the country is in your hands. If you want to inspire the next generation to pick up a hockey stick, you must win," she said.

"Think about victory all the time, whether you get up, sit, eat or drink. We must reach the semi-finals."

For Pritam, the men's team, led by Harmanpreet Singh, has the opportunity to challenge for a World Cup medal after a long wait. But she also wants the women's team to carve out its own history.

"The men's team has eight Olympic gold medals and one World Cup, and now you too must create your own legacy," she said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed.)