India jump to No 3 in FIH rankings after Asian Champions Trophy 2023 triumph at home

The Men in Blue are the best-ranked nation in Asia.

Indian men’s hockey team has reached the No. 3 rank in FIH (International Hockey Federation) Rankings. The increase in India’s rankings is due to their exemplary performance at the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy that took place in Chennai, India. In the latest FIH rankings, India is only behind the Netherlands and Belgium which hold the first and second position respectively.

The Indian men’s hockey team continues to be the highest-ranked team in the world from Asia. In fact, it is only the second men’s team from Asia in the world in top 10, with Asian Champions Trophy finalists Malaysia taking the ninth spot. India beat Malaysia by 4-3 in an electrifying final to win the coveted Asian Champions Trophy in their own backyard.

Closer to the Summit

Despite winning multiple Olympic gold medals in the past, India has never reached the World No. 1 rank in field hockey. This is because the FIH rankings system was introduced in 2003. Furthermore, in 2020, the FIH Executive Board revamped the ranking system from a tournament-based ranking system to a match-based ranking system.

In the FIH rankings, India has 2771.35 ranking points whereas Belgium has 2917.87 and the Netherlands has 3095.90 points respectively. If the Men in Blue continue to impress and win more games, then reaching the World No.1 rank is not a distant dream.

Winning the silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games was a sign of things to come from the Indian men’s hockey team. Winning the Asian Champions Trophy is a magnificent achievement for the players who will have their eyes set on securing the World No. 1 rank.

This will also serve as inspiration for the Indian women’s hockey team. They are currently ranked eighth in the world in FIH rankings, narrowly trailing Spain (7th) and England (6th). Apart from Japan (10), the Indian women’s team is the only other team from Asia to feature in the top 10 rankings in women’s hockey.