Rupinder adds muscle to young India
PLAYING TOUGH Undaunted by fresh blood, dragflick expert from Punjab back to front after long injury layoff
BHUBANESWAR: India’s drag-flick and penalty-corner expert Rupinder Pal Singh’s time away from the turf allowed Harmanpreet Singh to take the front seat.
However, Rupinder, who is back after a five-month layoff caused by a hamstring injury in his right leg, is ready for the stiff competition from the Junior World Cup winner.
Rupinder kept the levels of intensity high in the practice game against Argentina, scoring both the goals. “That’s what I always like to do. For me every game is important. I try to give my 200%,” Rupinder told Hindustan Times on Wednesday.
The 27-year-old player, also called Bobby, considers the 10-day mega event as a big opportunity. “It’s the toughest phase of my career as returning to the side after the injury lay-off isn’t easy. I have to play a bigger role on the home turf,” he said. “It’s a fresh start and quite a challenging one too. But this is what makes one stronger. I won’t let any opportunity given here go out of my hands. Playing before the home crowd would be an advantage.”
The return, however, wouldn’t have been possible without the support of family that allowed him to be patient. He had been worried initially as the injury wasn’t healing on expected lines.
“I couldn’t have dreamt of staging a comeback in the side had my family not been with me during crisis. Everyone consoled and encouraged me to make a comeback,” recalls Rupinder, who last played for India in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in AprilMay before missing the Hockey World League Semi-final at London in June. Though his return and Harmanpreet’s rise seem to have strengthened India in the penalty-corner department, he is willing to let go of that and play only as a defender. “I enjoy my position in defence and hitting penalty corner isn’t my top priority. I would love to play my natural game of defence. If required,
“I won’t hesitate in hitting penalty-corners, which you normally don’t get in a match. But defence is always required in the 70-minute duel,” said Rupinder, who had a memorable 2016 with the Indian team, winning a silver at Champions Trophy, reaching the quarter-finals of the Olympics for the first time since 1980 and winning the Asian Champions Trophy.
I couldn’t have dreamt of staging a comeback in the side had my family not been with me during crisis. Everyone consoled and encouraged me to make a comeback
RUPINDER, On his injury trauma