Jalandhar-born Olympian Hardik Singh captains Punjab's senior hockey team
The Punjab team led by Olympian Hardik Singh has reached the quarterfinals of the 15th Hockey India Senior Men National Hockey Championship in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. Jalandhar-born Hardik, who is also vice-captain of the Indian hockey team, started playing at the age of six.
Holding a hockey stick, he would accompany his grandfather Pritam Singh to the ground and would practice with him. Pritam Singh encouraged Hardik to pursue hockey.
Hardik’s paternal uncle Gurmail Singh was part of the Indian hockey team that won the gold medal in the 1980 Olympics. When Hardik had scored a goal against Germany in the Olympics, his paternal uncle Gurmail had told The Tribune, “Memories came rushing back to my mind. I could visualise myself when I saw Hardik running to score the goal.”
Hardik’s mother said when Hardik won bronze medal in the Olympics, we had got Olympic rings installed outside the house. “He wants to get the rings printed on his car as well. But that will happen only when he wins the gold medal,” she added.
“I have been doing ardas that either he wins a gold medal in Olympics or Hockey World Cup,” the mother added. Hardik’s younger brother is also taking coaching at Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.
Known for his calm and composed demeanour, Hardik doesn’t get excited easily, his mother adds. “He always waits for the right time to react,” she further mentioned. Hockey Punjab president Nitin Kohli and general secretary Amrik Singh Puar said in a tough Pool A match, the Punjab team defeated Odisha 3-2 and made it to the quarterfinals.
Olympian Jugraj Singh, international player Arajit Singh Hundal and Pradeep Singh scored for Punjab, while Amit Rohidas and Mityas Dang scored for Odisha.
The Punjab team members include Varun Kumar, Jugraj Singh, Germanpreet Singh and Krishna Bahadur Pathak (all Olympians), Harjeet Singh, Vikramjit Singh, Pradeep Singh, Olympian Gurjant Singh, Gurinder Singh, Maninder Singh, Arajit Singh Hundal, Jaskaran Singh, Talwinder Singh, Arshdeep Singh and Jasjit Singh. Olympian Rajinder Singh Sr is the coach, Olympian Sanjeev Kumar is manager and Ravinder Singh is assistant coach of the team.
