At a recent felicitation function in Bhubaneswar for the Indian men’s hockey team, a boy, inspired by the Men in Blue’s second straight Olympic bronze medal, told midfielder Manpreet Singh that he will fight for gold in the future.
“Hockey waapis aa rahi hai (Hockey is on the rise again),” Manpreet remarks.
From growing up listening to tales of India’s rich history in the sport to being a part of the side that ended a 41-year long medal drought at the Olympics, Manpreet knows what it means to make a statement like this.
Manpreet was a member of the squad which finished last at the 2012 London Olympics, a year after his international debut. In the next edition in Rio de Janeiro, India stumbled in the quarterfinals. However, in Tokyo, Manpreet led the team to a 5-4 win over Germany in the bronze-medal match, ending the tricolour nation’s wait for an Olympic medal. And just a little over two weeks ago, the midfielder was the most capped player (378 matches) in the Harmanpreet Singh-led team which retained that bronze medal in Paris.
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“Everyone has some sort of attachment to hockey. Whenever we talk about Olympics, the first thing we ask about is, ‘what’s happening in hockey?’ We have such a rich history,” Manpreet tells Sportstar.
“The kind of love that we have received after these two (Olympic) medals, not just from India but from outside as well, is wonderful. People, once again, are watching hockey and have a lot of expectations. We have to continue this. If the new generation will watch us, they will also aim for an Olympic medal.”
In this resurgence, one of the players who stood alongside (technically, behind him) Manpreet was P.R. Sreejesh who, in a camp before the Olympics, informed Manpreet and the other 14 members of the Paris squad that he would call it a day after the tournament.
When the topic of Sreejesh comes up, Manpreet, without missing a beat, quips, “ Mujhe mat retirement ke baare mein abhi poochhna (Do not ask me about my retirement just now).” The 32-year-old confirms that he plans to play, at least, till the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Indian hockey players pay tribute to P.R. Sreejesh after winning the bronze medal at Paris Olympics. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR/The Hindu
In all the highs and lows of his career, Manpreet had Sreejesh, a friend as well as a brother, with him. The duo played together more than 300 times for the country. “His has been a great journey. He has won a lot of medals. I felt sad when he told us about retirement but this is the reality. Ek na ek din aapko jaana hi hota hai (You have to retire some day). We are delighted that we won a bronze medal in his final tournament. We were happy with the team’s performance and especially, his performance,” says Manpreet.
Sreejesh will, however, continue to be involved in the national set up like former India internationals Rupinder Pal Singh and Sardar Singh. He will be the coach of the junior men’s team and a mentor for goalkeepers such as Krishan Pathak and Suraj Karkera in the senior side. It is something which Manpreet truly appreciates.
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“Having played hockey for such a long time, when you share that experience with the youngsters, they learn a lot. Sree, Bobby (Rupinder) and Sardar bhai, all three of them have played world-class hockey. They also have the knowledge regarding modern hockey,” he says.
MANPREET’S THREE ANGELS
Three years ago, after Manpreet returned from a historic campaign in Tokyo, he put up a post on Instagram. In that photograph, Manpreet’s head was in his mother’s lap with his bronze medal around her neck. The caption read, “Just seeing her smile and knowing how proud she is of me brings a smile to my face too - won’t be here today without her.”
Three years later, it is a similar post but this time, it also has his wife and his daughter. Manpreet calls them “three angels of his life.”
Manpreet lost his father in 2016, ending his dream of celebrating his first Olympic medal with him. But the women in his life provided him the much-needed support. “My family has played a major role in helping me be where I am today, especially my mother, and my wife since we got into a relationship in 2012. During the last Olympics, my wife was pregnant. My daughter is very lucky for me. Wherever she goes with me, she brings her luck along with her. My mother has been a pillar of strength for me, ever since my father passed away,” he says.
Jasmine, Manpreet’s daughter, was one of his biggest cheerleaders in Paris. “I have videos of her calling out my name while I was playing. She got a bit angry as well since she kept shouting my name. After the match, she told me, ‘Papa, I’m angry with you’,” Manpreet says.
At the same time, he says, she keeps him on his toes, adding “It gives me confidence that my daughter is watching me, so I have to perform well and avoid making any silly mistakes. I have to avoid falling down. Otherwise, she would tell me, ‘ Papa, aap girte bohot ho (Father, you fall down a lot).’”
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