Amstelveen wore an unmistakably Indian look on Independence Day as fans in national team jerseys and waving the tricolour gathered at the Wagener Stadium to cheer India in their Hockey World Cup opener.

The celebrations had an added reason to continue after India began their FIH Men's Hockey World Cup 2026 campaign with a 3-1 win over Wales in their Pool D match on Saturday.

Captain Harmanpreet Singh scored twice, while Sanjay also found the net as India secured three points and moved to the top of Pool D.

Fans turn Independence Day into hockey celebration

The match had brought a festive atmosphere to the usually quiet Dutch town of Amstelveen, around 15 km from Amsterdam's city centre.

Fans began arriving hours before the 1 pm local start, with many carrying umbrellas and wearing India jerseys. For members of the Indian diaspora, watching the national team play on Independence Day made the occasion particularly special.

Deepti, a Jaipur native who has lived in the Netherlands for seven years, arrived with her mother, husband and two children.

"We've been living in the Netherlands for seven years, and for the first time, we've come here with the entire family to watch a hockey match. It feels great and proud," she told PTI.

Sakshi, from Lucknow, said the timing of the match made the day even more memorable.

"Today is also Independence Day, so we've come to support India. What better celebration could there be than this? I'm very excited and hope this tournament will be memorable for India," she said.

The support extended beyond the Netherlands. Jitendra Agarwal, who lives in Las Vegas, USA, bought tickets for all six matches involving the Indian men's and women's teams in the Netherlands.

He and his wife also plan to travel to Belgium if India reaches the final.

Harmanpreet leads India to winning start

On the field, India made a confident start and quickly established control against Wales.

Sanjay opened the scoring in the eighth minute by converting a penalty corner. Harmanpreet then doubled India's advantage three minutes later, also finding the net from a penalty corner.

India remained in control after the break and continued to create opportunities. Harmanpreet completed his brace in the 43rd minute with another penalty-corner conversion to make it 3-0.

Wales pulled one back in the 55th minute when Sam Welsh scored following a scramble inside the circle.

India's defence held firm during the closing stages to ensure Wales could not mount a comeback and secured the three points.

Harmanpreet said getting the campaign off to a strong start was important.

"We played very well. Our aim was to create chances and score goals match after match. It doesn't matter who is the man of the match or who is scoring the goals. We just need to score goals. We played with that mindset," Harmanpreet said after the match.

"It was important to begin with a good win. We won 3-1 and took three points, which is a good result," he added.

India look to build on opening win

Wales' late goal denied India a clean sheet, but Harmanpreet said the team would learn from the mistakes made in the opener.

"We tried our best, but they also played well. This was only the first match, and we will try not to make mistakes in future matches," the captain said.

All three of India's goals came from penalty corners, despite coach Craig Fulton's continued emphasis on scoring field goals.

Harmanpreet said the forwards' ability to create penalty corners was also important.

"Our forward line performed well and earned several penalty corners. Whether they score field goals or create PCs, goals are important for the team," he said.

India will next face England on August 17. Pool D also features arch-rivals Pakistan.

A World Cup title 51 years in the making

The World Cup carries particular significance for India, who last won the title in 1975 after defeating Pakistan 2-1 in the final.

The title has eluded the team for the past 50 years. India finished ninth at the 2023 World Cup in Bhubaneswar and are now seeking a stronger campaign on Dutch soil.

The team enters the tournament after a run that includes back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, an Asia Cup title and two Asian Champions Trophy victories.

Ahead of the opening match, Harmanpreet had spoken about the opportunity presented by the tournament, particularly with several senior players in the squad.

"The World Cup means a lot to all of us because after this World Cup, you never know what might happen. There are several senior players in the team as well, so for us, this is a great opportunity," Harmanpreet had told JioStar.

For the Indian fans who gathered in Amstelveen on Independence Day, that opportunity now has a winning beginning.