Manpreet Singh wins Sportstar Aces 2020 Sportsman of the Year in team sports
Indian hockey team captain Manpreet Singh won the Sportsman of the Year in team sports at the Sportstar Aces Awards on Monday.
Published : Jan 13, 2020 20:50 IST
Manpreet Singh is a typical Punjabi, in a good way. He is confident, bold, in-your-face, intelligent and unafraid to take risks regardless of the situation or the opposition. The captain of the Indian men’s hockey team is one of the most recognisable faces in the sport today and is proud of it.
Unlike women’s hockey in India, where players come in young, peak early and then quit well before they hit their 30s, those in the men’s team tend to peak in their late 20s. By those standards, Manpreet, at 27, is an overachiever.
Having made his national team debut while still in his teens, Manpreet was already an Olympian when he captained at the 2013 Junior World Cup. He had more than 100 caps before he even cemented his place as one of the best midfielders in the world and a true-blue successor to Sardar Singh. And when he did step into the shoes of his idol, he took over as the boss of the midfield like he was born to it.
“Honoured but there is still a long, long way to go. We had a disaster at 2012 Olympics in London, disappointed at Rio when we were actually capable of so much more. Third time is said to be the charm but more than luck, we are focused on getting ourselves up to the level where we can prove that we deserve to be there, at the top,” Manpreet, adjudged the Sportsman of the Year in team sports at the second Sportstar Aces awards, said.
The graduation from junior to senior turned the team’s prankster into a serious professional. Playing alongside his hero, German legend Moritz Fuerste, in the Hockey India League helped him hone both his technical and inter-personal skills. Captaincy and the Arjuna Award has now added further responsibility on the youngster.
“People expect a lot from us. This award is proof of the fact that Indian hockey remains close to people’s hearts. It is also now an added motivation to go out there and prove we deserve all this love and appreciation,” he said.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, chess ace Vishwanathan Anand, The Hindu Publishing Group chairman N. Ram, former India hockey captain M. M. Somaya, Olympian shooter Anjali Bhagwat and Olympian shuttler Aparna Popat selected the deserving winners in categories involving young athletes, teams, coaches and parathletes.
The awards look to create a medium of knowledge and vision exchange as it brings all stakeholders of Indian sports under one roof.
You can watch the Sportstar Aces Awards telecast on Sony Ten 1 SD & HD on Sunday 26 January at 8 PM (IST). 1st Repeat : Monday 27 January at 6 PM, 2nd Repeat : Tuesday 28th January at 7 PM |