India, Dec. 24 -- Belgium defender Arthur Van Doren believes India are strong title contenders in next year's men's hockey World Cup, saying it is "impossible to ignore" the Men in Blue for their consistency over the last few years. India's performance at major tournaments, including successive Olympic medals, have firmly established them among the elite. "It's impossible not to consider them as big contenders," Van Doren told media. "They've shown results for a long time now, with two Olympic cycles where they ended up medallists. Ignoring India when talking about the World Cup would not be fair anymore."

The Belgian stalwart, who has close to 300 international caps, praised the balance in the Indian team. "They've got quality in pretty...