Indian hockey captain Harmanpreet Singh has led his team to back-to-back Olympic bronze medals, a remarkable achievement that has reignited the glory days of the sport in the country. After a 40-year wait for an Olympic medal, India secured a bronze in Tokyo 2020, followed by another bronze in Paris 2024.
Singh, fondly known as ‘Sarpanch sahab,’ believes that Indian hockey is on the rise. “Now you see people discussing the sport, the achievements, and celebrating it as well,” he said. “It feels nice when people do that because it means that people have an interest.”
The 28-year-old captain credits the team’s success to their hard work and determination. “We played really well in the entire tournament, and really fought in every match,” he said. “Even the semis was a close match, we deserved the Gold medal, but we lost that match narrowly, but that’s alright. A medal, after all, is a medal.”
Singh’s personal triumph was made even sweeter by the presence of his one-year-old daughter, Ruhanat, in the stands. “She doesn’t understand hockey much, but my wife was telling me that she has started picking up the stick and hitting the ball,” he said. “So that’s nice. Plus she was there with me throughout the event, and to be able to take her to the stadium and pose along with the medal, was something really special and will be a memory I will cherish forever.”
Singh’s leadership and the team’s collective spirit have inspired a new generation of hockey enthusiasts in India. “The Indian hockey team is not just there to participate but win the medals as well,” he said. “Things have improved remarkably.”
