A night of personal honour
During India’s historic Tokyo Olympics campaign last summer, it was Rupinder, who set the ball rolling for his side.
Rupinder Pal Singh is a man of few wordsbut he was happy to heap praise on his teammates on what was a night of personal honour for the drag-flicker.
After being crowned the Sportstar Aces Sportsman of the Year (Team Sports), Rupinder said, “This award belongs to not just me, it belongs to my team members, my family, who supported me throughout my career.”
Following a crisp acceptance speech, he was quick to get off the stage. His urgency was justified when IOC and FIH president Narinder Batra announced to the guests that India was locked 1-1 against Argentina at the end of the third quarter in the Pro Hockey League. Ever the team man, Rupinder, couldn’t keep his eyes off his former teammates, as he followed the game on his mobile phone as they battled their way to a 3-1 win.
During India’s historic Tokyo Olympics campaign last summer, it was Rupinder, who set the ball rolling for his side. The towering drag-flicker smashed home from the penalty spot, the first of his four goals at the tournament, for India to level the scores in the win over New Zealand.
And it was again Rupinder, who scored from the spot in the bronze medal match against Germany, giving India the lead for the first time in the game. After helping India end its 41-year wait for an Olympic medal, Rupinder called time on his career on a high.
The 31-year-old, however, has returned to the national fold and was named in the probables for the Commonwealth Games, which will be held later this year.
With the Asian Games immediately after, don’t count out the stick-wielding Punjabi from making his presence felt again this year.