Such has been the historical domination of India in hockey that we bask too much in the gloried days of the yore and often overlook the current state of the game. While there's nothing wrong with revelling in nostalgia, what it does sometimes is shackle you to the past, an injustice to the current crop of players who deserve to be celebrated for their own merit. And the men's hockey team, led by an astute Harmanpreet Singh, has earned the right to be celebrated more than they are. In Paris, Harmanpreet scored two decisive goals to inspire an iconic comeback victory against Spain in the bronze medal clash. For the first time in 52 years, India brought medals in back-to-back Olympics.
To rise up when the chips are down takes immense self-belief, and Harmanpreet, over a Zoom call, says that the “team was full of optimism”, despite staring at a possible defeat for a few minutes after Spain had taken a lead. “We always had a belief in our preparations. We tried not to lose our focus, and play our best game, and that's what we did,” says Harmanpreet, who is back after a long vacation with his family. “To play just a day after you see your biggest dream of winning a gold getting shattered is not an easy task. But we keep reminding ourselves not to underestimate the importance of the bronze medal. We made sure all of us were in the right headspace, and so we got time and space to process the emotions, rather than analysing our game straight away,” he adds.
Harmanpreet, one of the game's celebrated drag-flickers, understands the significance of not brooding over past mistakes. His role as a drag-flicker in the team involves converting a penalty corner to a goal. There will be days where he'd fail more often than succeed—that's the very essence of his role. He can't afford to contemplate failed chances when he’s striking the ball. His ability to leave behind failures and take every chance with the same vigour and aggression made him the leading goal-scorer at the Paris Olympics. He scored ten times for India, solidifying his status as Mr. Dependable. The penchant for drag-flicking came early in his life, when he saw his seniors at Jalandhar's Surjit Hockey Academy, executing it in the game. His coach Avtar Singh would often bemoan the lack of high-quality flickers in the country and put trust in Harmanpreet to end this tryst. “I have learned a lot from him [Avtar]. He was always updated with the best coaching practises on the international level, and would train us accordingly,” says Harmanpreet.
Nothing testifies to his status as the poster boy of Indian hockey as the price Soorma Hockey Club paid to acquire him for the Hockey India League (HIL). The 28-year-old became the most expensive player in the league. “It feels great to see the trust shown by the teams. It's nothing but a result of the consistency that I have shown over the years,” says Harmanpreet adding that he's happier to see the return of HIL after seven years of dormancy.
Harmanpreet is too modest to admit, but if not for the resurgence of the Indian team that he captains, the comeback of HIL would have been a distant possibility. Winning bronze in Tokyo and Paris has spiked the interest of a cricket-frenzy nation in hockey, and there's no better time to build something better than now. Admittedly, hockey might not reach the exalted status that it enjoyed, but the sport is surely undergoing a much-needed renaissance, spurred by India's recent success. Emphasising HIL's role in his career when he was rising through the ranks, Harmanpreet says, “To share the space with some of the best players from the world was a great learning experience. You learn a lot about the game when you rub shoulders with experienced players. It's a great opportunity for youngsters out there.”
For much of the year, Harmanpreet finds himself on tour with the Indian team or fine-tuning his skills at the Sports Authority of India centre in Bengaluru. As is the case with elite athletes, his commitment to the craft takes so much of his time that he is not left with much for other pursuits. Earlier this year, he missed his daughter's first birthday because he was preparing for the Paris Olympics. “She is one-and-half years old now and I have only managed to spend a couple of months or so with her. She has grown up so quickly. I got a much-needed break before the season starts again and we recently went on a vacation,” he says.
Harmanpreet and PR Sreejesh were the two names that stood out after India's triumph in Paris, for they have been the backbone of this team for years now. Sreejesh bid adieu to the game this year, but Harmanpreet is still going strong, and he doesn't like to be singled out. “Sreejesh saves goals for the team while I am tasked to take penalty corners. It’s just the nature of our roles that we get more attention than the rest. But make no mistake, hockey is a team game ultimately, and each player has an equally important responsibility to play,” adds Harmanpreet.
He is not the one to rest on his laurels. With time on his side and a steadfast commitment to fitness, there's no reason why the Indian skipper won't play in the next two editions of the Olympics and give himself an opportunity to cement his name amongst the coterie of legends the sport has produced. But Harmanpreet wants to take one step at a time. “My main focus is on being in the best shape and mindset for the Hockey India League. Once that ends, we will train for the FIH Pro League,” says Harmanpreet.
