‘We are right up there with the best’
The disappointment of missing out on a medal at the Commonwealth
Games in 2018 still rankles with the Indian men's hockey team. Can the team led by Manpreet Singh bag the elusive gold this time? “There is a winning mentality, especially after the Olympic medal – a belief that games can turn at any second and we can do that, too,” says the captain.
When Manpreet Singh first played at the Commonwealth Games, he was a fresh-faced 22-year-old who had recently graduated to the senior level of international sport. He was considered a prodigy. He has come a long way since then. Later this month, the 30year-old Manpreet will lead the Indian men’s hockey team at Birmingham in pursuit of the one gold the country has never won in the Games.
“It’s been a roller-coaster ride all these years. I have seen a lot of ups and downs, both as a player and as a part of teams, but it’s been a fun journey and I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s also a very good space to be in right now with this team. Everyone is quite young and there’s a lot of fun off the field; at the same time, there is a lot of dedication on the field.
“You don’t have to tell anyone anything much. Everyone knows we are going out to win and that mindset helps the team as a whole. The understanding is also very good; for example, between me, Hardik and Vivek (Sagar Prasad) in the midfield, it’s a very balanced team,” says Manpreet.
There are things that have changed, though, for the better. And Manpreet personifies the change the best, both as a player and as a person. “The biggest change has been in fitness levels. There were teams better than us at that time but now, we are right up there with the best. Fitness has gone up to crazy levels. When we are given a target during training or before a game, every single player is able to reach it quite easily with a lot to spare. Everyone understands that fitness is the most important thing. Also, there is more understanding and communication between everyone, a lot more openness in discussions,” Manpreet explains. As a senior player he understands the added responsibility but the change in team culture means he doesn’t have to take it as a burden. At this point, he serves a quick reminder that he isn’t the seniormost, P. R. Sreejesh is.
“It’s a team effort now and there are no seniors or juniors. There are times when I have a bad day on the field, as in the last match against Germany, but others were motivating me to pull up and that we have to do well and win. That’s a great thing and youngsters actually push the seniors to do even better.
“The main pressure, in fact, even earlier, used to be the experience of being in the athletes’ village at multi-disciplinary events where everyone stayed and interacted with everyone else. Now, most players have that experience and know how to handle it. Frankly, what can be bigger than the Olympics?”
Winning mentality
The team had a scare when a few players and chief coach Graham Reid tested positive for
COVID last month but that hasn’t affected the preparations. With everyone back to training, things are now back to normal. The disappointment of missing out on a medal in 201■, though, still rankles.
“It was a disappointment but we have worked on every aspect since then. It’s not that we ever took a team lightly but after that, we have made a conscious effort at not sagging because even if you think of a team as ‘weak’ subconsciously, it definitely affects your performance. That said, the team mindset and morale has changed completely now. There is a winning mentality, especially after the Olympic medal – a belief that games can turn at any second and we can do that, too.”
The target this time around has been broken into smaller brackets and moving ahead, one at a time – first top the pool, then reach the final and then go for the gold. “Since the Olympic medal, teams have started planning specifically for India. We are a marked team and they do take us a lot more seriously. Earlier, the margins used to be real big against us but now it’s a one goal difference or a draw and shootouts. And our team, too, has the belief now that we can win a medal at any competition. We are studying every team in detail, their