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Five, six. Pick up sticks: India’s hockey dreams
Meet the team as they prepare for the much-anticipated India vs Pakistan game is scheduled for September 30
India has been playing hockey since 1850, yet, for some readers of this magazine, it’s likely the modern hockey story began only in 2014. That was the year the Indian men’s team won gold at the Asian Games, defeating Pakistan in the final. At this year’s Asian Games, India will go up against Korea, Japan, Malaysia, Pakistan and Uzbekistan, from September 24. The much-anticipated India vs Pakistan game is scheduled for September 30.
In hockey, India has won the Asian Games twice. Pakistan has won a record eight times. So, anticipation is high. But the stakes are higher. The team that wins here qualifies for the Paris Olympics 2024.
Manpreet Singh, 31, midfielder and former captain who was also a part of the 2014 team, is calm and optimistic. “We played against all the teams we’re going up against at the Asian Games,” he says. “We just have to give our best in every single match, focus on our basics, and not underestimate any of the other teams. They’re all going to bring 100%. They all want to qualify for Paris.”
Harmanpreet Singh, 27, current captain, is even more confident and matter-of-fact. “Practice has been going well. We’ve analysed the other teams and opponents, played against them. We know what we have to do to improve and we’ve been working on it,” he says. “Of course, every team is coming to win, but we know our responsibilities.”
Currently, the men’s team practises a good five hours a day. That includes gym sessions and separate conditioning sessions after practice. The players seem to be in form. This August, at the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 in Chennai, the Indian team remained undefeated in all seven matches. They beat Malaysia 4-3 to not only win, but also become the most successful team in the Asian Champions Trophy. Harmanpreet Singh was the top scorer, with nine goals.
In India, all sports come second to cricket but the hockey team believes this is slowly changing. “It’s not that irritating,” says Manpreet Singh. “In cricket, they’re 100 per cent at their end; we’re giving 100 per cent at ours. We’re cricket fans too. And it doesn’t matter whether they win or we win, because at the end of the day, India wins. Neeraj Chopra is doing well. PV Sindhu is doing well, Mirabai Chanu is killing it. India is moving forward.”
Harmanpreet Singh agrees. “They’re all Indian sports. We all represent India. But hockey has a great history and we’ve won Olympic medals, so hopefully we can just get better. We’re playing to sold-out stadiums in India. More people are taking an interest.”
Manpreet does wish, however, that more people knew one thing about hockey. “People used to say that if you get hit by a hockey ball, it’d hurt and you’d never play again. But the sport has evolved, chances of injuries are much lower. Play hockey once and you’ll definitely want to play again.”
