Welcome to the Sportstar podcast.
This is a special episode as if you’re listening to this on the day of its release i.e. June 23, it happens to be the Olympic Day. Olympic Day is a global celebration of sport and getting active. It takes place on June 23 every year to commemorate the day the International Olympic Committee was founded in 1894.
To talk more about the Olympics, the Olympic values of friendship, excellence and respect, we have three really special guests today who also share with us their experiences at the showpiece event which happens once every four years but can change your lives in a matter of few seconds.
On the podcast today, we have with us the Indian men’s hockey team captain and dragflicker Harmanpreet Singh, the women’s team captain and goalkeeper Savita Pania and young forward Lalremsiami.
Listen here:
On imbibing Olympic values of excellence, friendship, and respect into personal lives...
Savita: We get to learn so much from sports. We all know how big the Olympics is and its values. The ethics of team sport hold true when you are among family or friends. We spend more time with our teammates than our families. So, it becomes imperative that we bond with them to an extent that we don’t miss our family members much.
Harmanpreet Singh: When we go to big events there is always the part where you learn new things. We meet different people. The experience is nice, we find out new things. We watch different sports and there are things you can learn from there as well.
Lalremsiami: The best thing about being part of a team sport is that we never feel we are away from our family. We teach and grow with each other.
ALSO LISTEN: Podcast: Young Turks - The stories of India’s men’s and women’s Junior Asia Cup winners
On the first and favourite Olympic memory...
Savita: When we qualified for the Rio Olympics, we were beyond happy. Because as a hockey plyer, your biggest dream is to represent your country in the Olympics. There are so many sacrifices and so much hard work that goes behind the marquee event. You have to be training with complete dedication. It is surreal, so much so that I don’t think I have enough words to explain the feeling of reaching an Olympic host city for the first time. When we qualified for Rio 2016, it felt like a dream come true because since I joined the camp that was all I heard from the seniors. Even today, if I sit down to remember those days, I feel that that will always be the best moment of my life. The very part that I was a part of that team feels special. Then of course, we all know how things went down at Tokyo 2020. Although Rio didn’t go well performance-wise, we gave it our all the next four years. By then, guys like Lalremsiami had also joined the squad. Our best match in Tokyo was the quarterfinal against Australia. Although every team that comes to compete to the Olympics is elite, we were pitted against the pool-toppers.
Lalremsiami: My dream as a junior player had always been to represent the country in the senior level and the Olympics. Yes, I was very nervous as well. But one thing I want to put out there today is that the seniors in the team always guide the juniors. The experience was great, we learned new things. There was pressure but our coaching staff made sure we handled it well.
Harmanpreet: For me it is the same. For all sportspersons plying an Olympic sport, competing at the Summer Games becomes the ultimate dream. In 2016, performance-wise, I couldn’t do much. Whenever we go to any tournament, in my mind, I always think of giving my best but it is not always that you can give your best. The journey started there and there were learnings. There is a lot of struggle, which one can associate with the Olympics. Right from the moment you enter the Athletes’ Village (laughs). You have to locate where is which building and so on... But that is a good thing too, us as a group going around asking people where the gym and fitness centre are, where the dining hall is. The excitement of going to the ground for the first time is also special... Finding out how big it is. After that when the matches start, we are completely focused on one thing. We face a lot of things and that is a good experience to have, I’d say. If I talk about matches, we can do what we do on the field because of our supporters who turn up in big numbers to cheer for the men’s and women’s teams. Of course, the bronze medal match has been my most favourite memory. That taught us to never give up. From being 3-1 down to winning 5-4 against Germany, it was huge. During the match we kept pushing one another. It was not that the seniors were carrying the team. All the youngsters kept communicating and telling us that we can do it. So that was a different kind of boost altogether. I am glad it all worked out and we reached where we have been wanting to for so long now.
From scoring zero goals in 2016 to becoming the highest-scorer for the men’s team at Tokyo, life has come a full circle for Harmanpreet. Even the coach had notably pointed out after Rio 2016 that Harmanpreet had ‘underperformed’. Did that criticism push him to do better?
Harmanpreet: It doesn’t work like that, I think. That whenever somebody criticises you, you tend to do better. I think these are just individual responsibilities. In a player’s life, there are lots of ups and downs. There are a lot of situations jahaan pe ya toh aap jeet sakte ho ya aap seekh sakte ho (where you can either win or learn). I was a lot of younger than a majority of the players in the team then. The chances I got weren’t frequent either because of the presence of V. R. Raghu(nath) bhai and Rupinder Pal (Singh) paaji in the team. Even playing with them and sharing the same dugout with them in the Olympics is a huge thing in itself. You have to give your best in whatever little time you get there. I don’t even know when the coach said this (laughs). What you are working towards may happen or may not, but the crucial thing is to keep trusting oneself.
Experience at the Olympic Athletes’ Village...
Harmanpreet: There are a few who are already celebrities when they reach there and some become celebrities there. To be honest, most are already superstars because they are at the Olympics. In 2016, there were quite a few stars from other sports, who we met. I was unlucky though as I couldn’t meet anybody personally (laughs).
Savita: As Harman said, when someone goes to the Olympics from India or from any other nation, he or she is already a star. Only athletes know the kind of sacrifice that each one of us has had to make to reach here. Also, the kind of focus that is required to progress further. To be honest, in 2016, we were excited about meeting other people and doing certain things since we were new to the whole thing. In Tokyo 2020, we only had one objective and that was the only thing on our mind. But yeah, when so many athletes from so many different countries are there together, the atmosphere is obviously one of positivity. Although you hardly get any time to properly have a conversation and learn something, when you see somebody come back with a medal, there is nothing more motivating than that. You also want to do the same then. When we dine together, we get to know what is right, what isn’t and what to avoid. The road to the Olympics itself is one where you educate yourself with so many things, but when you are there too the learning never stops. It is not just hockey; you will get people from all walks of life at the Olympics. For some it’s the first Olympics and for some it is the last. You get to see the difference. We point out to our juniors that you have to become like some of the veterans who have played so many Olympics but the hard work never stops. I was awestruck sometimes to find faces I have seen on TV just walk past me. Obviously, it is the Olympics... where else they would be? (laughs)
A conversation with somebody at the village, which you will always remember...
Savita: I never had a moment like that, personally, cause mostly I am there with my team. When we travel also, we move in a group. At Rio, we used to see other people train at the gyms. So, we had to accommodate. So that’s how we knew that it isn’t just about playing hockey, it is also about learning so many other things. We used to make plans though. Like making a group and going somewhere or maybe exploring the Centre itself. Then we used to get together in the evening and relate to each other our experience and provide feedback. That used to make us feel better.
Savita on being called the ‘Great Wall of India’ and how does she work on her reflexes...
Savita: The job of a goalkeeper is to train to extents which allows her to help her team in every situation. Our coaches put in so much work and conduct net sessions. I try to keep calm myself and not take any kind of pressure. But the pressure is always there and only experience will teach you how to handle it well. The secret behind our goalkeepers doing so well is that the chief coach (Janneke Schopman) dedicates so much time now to goalkeeping drills- around 2-3 per week. These sessions are generally quite tough. Even before the Tokyo Olympics, we had worked a lot with Janneke (who wasn’t the chief coach then). When you work on something and that bears fruit, obviously, it makes you happy. You think you are doing well to help the team. Similarly, when someone scores a goal also, that makes that player happy. Sometimes, it is unfairly portrayed that the one who is saving a goal or maybe scoring a goal is more important. Truth is, the whole team is important. If we are defending, there are four other players with me, one of whom will be pushing the opponent back, one will be doing something else. So, each and every player is important. Even Harman(preet) will tell you, that the guy who scores is obviously happy but we also share their happiness. We all motivate and push each other. As an experienced goalkeeper, even when we realise we have put in so much work, we keep working harder.
On the revolution in women’s hockey brought about by Sjoerd Marijne and then carried forward by Schopman...
Lalremsiami: All of us know that Jan is a very intelligent coach. What each player is good at, where they can improve... As an individual, I myself have improved so much and displayed more match awareness. Off the field and on the field, she always motivates us. Whether we are right or wrong, she will always motivate us.
On the men’s side working with Craig Fulton...
Harmanpreet: It’s going well. He has done good with all the teams he has been with. He was with Belgium the last time, which is a great team. If I talk about other teams... even other players... he has a lot of knowledge about them and he is sharing those bits with us now. I think the team needed that. The more you keep the team aware of their opponents, the better. As a person also, he is great. Talks with everybody and tries to stay positive all the time. Of course, he has just joined us. In the little time he has had, he has tried to get to know more about everybody here. According to the match situation, we have meetings and then plan drills accordingly. He tells us where we are going wrong, whether in defence or attack.
Does Fulton stress more on physical drills?
Harmanpreet: Yes, he does and that is needed too, I feel. You must have seen the matches also. It is a physical sport, so it is imperative to have such drills. You have heard it right.
On the importance of the return of the Hockey India League
Harmanpreet: Have a lot of good memories. My journey actually started from there. I was in the junior team but when the Hockey India League started, I was in the Mumbai team. It helped in boosting my confidence because when you are junior and young, you know who all are playing in the senior team, who all are playing for your opponents. You share rooms, dressing rooms and grounds with famous players, which push you. They shared their experiences with me and I learnt a lot from there. That definitely helps. I have been hearing and I feel it will be really nice if Hockey India League starts again. The youngsters will get opportunities to play and you can find good players from across the country.
Missing the Tokyo Olympics medal by a whisker - has it become more difficult now because you have to again go through the four-year cycle for a medal or does it seem easy because you just need to push yourself a bit more?
Savita: Both things are valid. When you know that you went with a target and had worked so hard for it. It felt that there was no lack of effort in working hard - either as an individual or as a team. Especially, during covid, we were stuck and we know how tough a time it was for us. We played so well in the medal match and still, to return without the medal, it feels like it’s all over. But it is the team’s strength to stay united and overcome this. The second thing was to find out ways to improve our game, and we worked on it. In these times, the support that we got from the entire nation, the pain of that loss will remain but we did not feel demoralised because of the kind of love we got from everyone. It motivated us to qualify for the next Olympics and we know the medal is so close. When both the men’s and women’s teams train here, we observe each other and understand how important every training, running and gym session is. Staying relaxed one week and focusing the following week - it does not work like that in order to achieve something at the Olympics. Every individual needs to have the same mindset. We consider our achievement at Tokyo as a positive one because if we look at the Olympics in Rio, we finished 12th. In the following four years, we were determined to do well in Tokyo. We didn’t want to send a message that we were there just to qualify, participate and be satisfied with it. We don’t blame the people who judged us (after Rio) maybe because we ourselves did not have that mental strength at that time. Olympics is a big event but at the end of the day, you are there to play hockey only. That is something we learnt from Rio and applied at Tokyo. Pressure is there but it is normal. It relaxes us when our coach Janneke tells us, “You play hockey, follow the process and don’t worry about the result. If you play well and give your best effort till the very last moment, you will get the result. If your opponent plays really well, then you have respect for them because everybody wants to win.”
Tokyo: Indian players react after losing their women’s field hockey bronze medal match against Great Britain, at the 2020 Summer Olympics, in Tokyo, Friday, Aug. 6, 2021. India lost the match 3-4. | Photo Credit: PTI
On changes in setup and mentality since Tokyo 2020...
Savita: What Sjoerd sir tweeted - “We did not win a medal, but I think we have won something bigger. We have made Indians proud again and we inspired millions of girls that dreams can come true as long as you work hard for it and believe it!” - he had told us the same because even he was feeling really sad as he had seen our hard work and sacrifices from a close distance. When Sjoerd and Janneke were working together, they had the belief that this team can achieve something bigger. He was as upset as we were. He said, “Whatever I say at this moment, you might not understand because you are in that state of mind that you don’t have the medal. Playing a medal match at the Olympics itself was possible only because we played good hockey.” When we returned to India, the men’s team had a medal and it does not need much explanation but receiving the same level of respect, love and support without a medal was huge. We received a lot of calls and many parents came to visit us as well, saying that they want their child to play hockey. (PM Narendra) Modi sir too supported us a lot. Since then, we have clinched a Commonwealth Games medal, Nations Cup title and the junior team, which stays with us and occasionally trains under Janneke, has won its first-ever title at the Junior Asia Cup.
Lalremsiami: Post the Olympics, our hockey got even more popular. Especially for someone, who comes from Mizoram where no one plays hockey, people started recognising me when I returned from Tokyo. After Olympics, our Government announced that they will build a hockey ground so that young children can play hockey. Sjoerd sir rightly tweeted because in Mizoram, the Olympics have inspired many youngsters to pick up a stick. Our state’s main problem is the lack of a hockey ground and facilities but our Government now has it in mind that we too can play hockey.
Whether playing a team sport helps you in dealing with tough personal moments as well
Lalremsiami: I don’t know if I would have been able to handle such a difficult life if I wasn’t playing a team sport. The team stands with me all the time. As you said, when I came into the team, I did not know either Hindi or English. I only knew Mizo. And my teammates knew Hindi and English but not Mizo. But my senior players have always supported and guided me. I have slowly learned. At the time of qualifying for the Olympics, my father passed away. And it was a difficult time for me but my team and coaching staff were there for me and so, I could handle the situation. I am really lucky that I play hockey.
Tokyo: The India field hockey team poses for a photo with their bronze medal after taking third place in the men’s field hockey event at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021, in Tokyo, Japan. AP/PTI | Photo Credit: AP
On the final moments of the Bronze medal match against Germany.
Harmanpreet: I think it was the best moment but i don’t want to create such a moment again in my life because it was very difficult. It was as if, along with the match clock, time in general had stopped when Germany had been awarded a penalty corner. Like Savita said earlier, while defending a PC, goalkeeper and four other players with him or her have their own roles. We had the best first rusher, best goalkeeper and the best defence. We try and block every PC that our opponent takes, whether it is saved by the first rusher or goalkeeper. Whenever I think about that moment, I get emotional because the amount of hard work we put in was for that medal only. It was difficult but the team had the belief that we could still do it.
On the celebrations from that day
Harmanpreet: The hotel we were staying in, our accommodation was on a higher floor and I was afraid Sreejesh bhai would jump from the top while celebrating. He is the seniormost player but the funniest one as well because the things he does, even the whole SAI knows about it. He creates a good atmosphere. Not only him but also the entire India was celebrating that day. No one on the ground could understand how to express their feelings - some were crying, some were smiling, some remained seated at a particular spot and some did nothing. But it was after all the hard work we had done. We had faced a tough 5-6 months during COVID in a camp - staying in rooms and training there. You are going to the ground and suddenly, you can’t. But the team knew that it had to be ready whether the Olympics happened or got postponed.
On rumours that Harmanpreet was the best singer in the team
Harmanpreet: I am not a singer but before I got into hockey, I used to go and learn music because I have been interested in this from the beginning. I have learnt how to play the harmonium as well but maybe have forgotten know. You should try different things in life because the more you learn, the better it is.
Were you asked to sing a special song the day you won bronze?
Harmanpreet: On that day, everyone became a singer. Even the players stepped up and started singing, talents you didn’t even know about. We all were surprised. I thought I was the only singer but actually, everyone was.
On the upcoming Asian Champions Trophy...
Harmanpreet: It’s very important because before the Asian Games, you are playing against the same teams and get to know the patterns in which they play. It is a good tournament and the matches will be high-quality and it will help us in the upcoming major tournaments. We will try to read our opponents’ game, their structure, planning and work individually on the players. As a defender, you should have knowledge about their forwards. Who takes their PCs and what sort of variation do they have... Teams do cover up such things but you do learn while playing and are able to read the players and their teams.
On their preparations ahead of the fast-approaching Asian Games...
Savita: Our preparation is going well. We recently went on an Australia tour and played against a strong team. You always get to learn something from that team because you know you are playing against a top team. We didn’t play that well in the first match but still, the score was 4-3. That helps you stay positive and gives the belief that if you had played a little better, you could have won it. We improved match by match. It may seem like we were playing their A Team but whoever was watching the match there, knew the level of that team. Those two matches against the A Team also went well. Next, we will go on a Spain tour before the Asian Games. However, we don’t have much exposure this time. Last year, Pro League helped us for the World Cup, Commonwealth Games and Nations Cup. We know our strength and have the time to work on things. So, we try and give our best in every training session. Individually too, Janneke sees how to work on a particular player’s game and gives us time. That’s why, the players also want to prove every day that they deserve a spot in the team. We don’t have much international matches at this point but when we play an 11-a-side match amongst us, we try to compete well against each other.
Harmanpreet: Right now, we are on a break and at our homes. We learned a lot from our recent Pro League games because one or two teams there played in the same structure as the Asian teams. And we know where we need to work more. Our coach knows what drills he needs to bring for the camp and which area needs to be improved in the remaining time.
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