Pool A : India, West Germany, France, Kenya, Argentina
Pool B : Pakistan, Australia, Netherlands, Japan, Spain

India's Match Results :

• Pakistan came into the competition as the reigning Olympic and Asian Games champions. However, Pakistan had a very tough time in their pool, drawing with Holland, losing to Spain 2-3, and beating Japan by just a solitary goal scored off a penalty corner by the redoubtable Tanvir Dar. He would eventually emerge as the tournament's top goal scorer with 8 goals.
  
  
• In the road to the semi-finals, India was the only unbeaten team in the pool matches. India beat France 1-0, Argentina 1-0, Kenya 2-0 and in the final match, defeated Germany 1-0.
  
  
• The high drama of this competition was enacted on the last day of the pool matches when Holland played Japan. If Holland won (they were overwhelming favourites), Holland would be in the semi-finals. If the game was a draw, Pakistan's fate depended on the result of the Australia-Spain match. In the unlikely event that Japan won, Pakistan would be in the semi-finals.
  
  
• The entire Pakistan team was present for the Holland-Japan match. They gave tips to the Japanese. What happened in the match was unbelievable. The Dutch thoroughly dominated the match, getting no less than 19 penalty corners, but could not score a single goal against the Japanese goalkeeper Otsuka. Japan itself managed to score the solitary goal of the match, ironically on a penalty corner. A highly thankful Pakistan squad applauded the Japanese team and gifted Pakistan-made hockey sticks to them.
  
  
• Pakistan's inconsistent play set up an Indo-Pak confrontation at the semi-final stage itself. The semifinals were staged not in Barcelona, but in the nearby industrial town of Terrasa. Young centre-forward Rajvinder Singh scored a beautiful goal for India towards the end of the first half. However, in the second half, a long scoop by Tanvir Dar was missed by the Indian full back, mistimed by the Indian goalkeeper, and Rashid of Pakistan had to just tap the ball in. The score was tied at 1-1.
  
  
• The winning goal was scored towards the fag end of the match off a penalty corner by Munnawar, who hit the roof of the net of the Indian goal. Despite protests by the Indian team, the Italian umpire Pennosi allowed the goal, and Pakistan sailed through to the finals. The Indian coach Balbir Singh said later, "All the boys of the team wept after the match, and I patted and consoled each member of the team."
  
  
• Pakistan defeated Spain in the finals through a superb penalty corner by Akhtar and thus lifted the inaugural World Cup. Pakistan achieved the Classic Triple in hockey - Olympic Champions (1968), Asian Games Champions (1970) and now World Champions. They were to repeat this feat in 1984. India won the consolation bronze, beating Kenya 2-1.
  
  
• A World XI was announced after the first World Cup. Who was the goalkeeper of the world team - none other than Otsuka of Japan, the man who made it all possible for Pakistan. Moreover, Otsuka was even declared the Player of the Tournament as well!

Final Standings :

Indian Team :

Ajitpal Singh (captain), Cedric Pereira, Charles Cornelius, Baldev Singh, Vinod Kumar, Michael Kindo, P. Krishnamurthy,  Harmeek Singh, Vece Paes, M. P. Ganesh, Ashok Kumar, Rajwinder Singh, Shaheed Noor, Francis D'Mello, Kulwant Singh, Harcharan Singh. Coach : Balbir Singh