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Hardik Singh

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Hardik Singh
Singh in August 2022
Personal information
Full name Hardik Singh Rai
Born (1998-09-23) 23 September 1998 (age 26)
Khusropur, Jalandhar district,
Punjab, India[1]
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)[2]
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current club Indian Oil Corporation
Senior career
Years Team
Petroleum Sports Promotion Board
Indian Oil Corporation
National team
Years Team Caps Goals
2014 India U21 4 (0)
2018– India 142 (11)
Medal record
Men's field hockey
Representing  India
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo Team
Bronze medal – third place 2024 Paris Team
Asian Games
Gold medal – first place 2022 Hangzhou Team
Asian Champions Trophy
Gold medal – first place 2018 Muscat
Gold medal – first place 2023 Chennai
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Dhaka
Commonwealth Games
Silver medal – second place 2022 Birmingham Team

Hardik Singh (born 23 September 1998) is an Indian field hockey player who plays as a midfielder for the Indian national team.[3]

Early life

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Singh's father was Varinderpreet Singh Rai, who works as a police officer, played for India. His grandfather Preetam Singh Rai was a hockey coach with the Indian Navy.[4] Hardik played hockey as a youngster in his village Khusropur under the tutelage of his grandfather. Like his uncles Gurmail Singh and Jugraj Singh, both former internationals, Hardik began playing as a defender in the wings. He took up hockey seriously in 2012 and joined the Punjab Institute of Sports Academy in Mohali before moving to Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar.[5]

Hardik's aunt Rajbir Kaur also played internationally for India while her husband Gurmail Singh was a part of gold-medal-winning Indian team at the 1980 Moscow Olympics[6] Hardik is a fifth-generation hockey player in the family.[7] He regards his uncle Jugraj Singh as his mentor,[1] and credits him for persuading Hardik to stay back when he decided to move to the Netherlands after opportunities in India seemed to dry up for him as a 18-year-old.

International career

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2018–2022: Debut and Olympics bronze

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After becoming the vice-captain of the Indian junior team, Singh made his senior international debut at the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy held in Muscat.[8] His first match was India's opening fixture against Oman on 18 October; India won 11–0.[9] Finalists India and Pakistan were declared joint-winners after the match was abandoned due to rain.[10]

Singh was included in India's squad for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.[11] He scored his first goal of the competition in the quarter-final against Great Britain. Singh's 57th-minute counter-attacking goal helped India secure a 3–1 win, and an entry into the medal-round for the first time since the 1980 Moscow Olympics.[12] A semi-final loss to Belgium was followed by bronze-medal finish after a win against Germany. Singh scored once in the eventual 5–3 win.[13] He scored off a loose ball from a penalty corner in the second quarter to give his team a 2–1 lead.[14]

In the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Singh was a part of the India team that finished second. His team had an undefeated run leading up to the final, where they lost 7–0 to Australia. He recalled the game being "a big test" for him and that he wanted to "focus more on controlling the tempo of the game and build on leadership qualities."[15] At the Hockey India Awards, Singh was awarded the Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of The Year for 2022.[16]

2023–present

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Singh was named in India's squad for the 2023 World Cup. In its profiling, ESPN called him "India's engine in the middle of the park. Non-stop running leads India's pressing, and sublime passer."[17] He scored in India's opening game against Spain in a 2–0 win.[18] In the next group stage match, against England, Singh sustained a hamstring injury leading him to miss the rest of the tournament.[19] In July that year, Singh played his 100th match for India, against England, in the 100th Anniversary Spanish Hockey Federation tournament in Barcelona, Spain.[20]

Singh was part of the side that finished first in both the Asian Champions Trophy and the Hangzhou Asian Games, both played in 2023. Recognizing his performances in these successes, Singh was awarded the FIH Player of the Year (Male).[21]

References

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  1. ^ a b Sahni, Jaspreet (21 November 2018). "Hockey World Cup: Hardik Singh - From ball boy to World Cup". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  2. ^ "SINGH Hardik". www.worldcup2018.hockey. International Hockey Federation. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  3. ^ "HARDIK SINGH". hockeyindia.org. Hockey India. Archived from the original on 27 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  4. ^ Das, Tanmay (1 December 2018). "Hockey World Cup: 'Home' support for Hardik Singh". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  5. ^ Unnikrishnan, Dilip (23 July 2022). "CWG 2022, Hockey: Hardik hungers for gold". Scroll.in. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  6. ^ "Vice-captain Hardik Singh is fifth in family to win laurels in hockey". The Tribune. 1 October 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2019.
  7. ^ "Fighting spirit behind India hockey team's resurgence: Hardik". The Statesman. 30 June 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  8. ^ "'Next two months crucial for the team', says Indian Men's Hockey Team Captain Harmanpreet Singh". Asian Hockey Federation. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Indian Men's Hero Asian Champions Trophy 2018 campaign". Hockey India. 19 October 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  10. ^ "Asian Champions Trophy: India, Pakistan declared joint winners after final called-off due to rain". The Times of India. 29 October 2018. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Hockey India Announces Men's squad for Tokyo Olympic Games 2020". Hockey India. 18 June 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Tokyo 2020: Hardik Singh's counter-attack goal seals India's place in semi-final". The Indian Express. 1 August 2021. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  13. ^ Scroll Staff (5 August 2021). "Tokyo 2020, men's hockey: India beat Germany to win bronze, end 41-year wait for Olympic medal". Scroll.in. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  14. ^ Unnikrishnan, Dilip (23 July 2022). "CWG 2022, Hockey: Hardik hungers for gold". Scroll.in. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  15. ^ ""The Final against Australia is a big lesson ahead of the World Cup," says Hardik Singh". Hockey India. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2024.
  16. ^ "Hardik Singh and Savita win the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year 2022". Hockey India. 17 March 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  17. ^ "Know Your Team: Meet India's 18-member squad for Hockey Men's World Cup 2023". ESPN. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Hockey World Cup highlights: India beat Spain 2-0 in opener". ESPN. 13 January 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  19. ^ "India suffers setback as injured Hardik Singh is ruled out of FIH Hockey World Cup 2023". The Economic Times. 21 January 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  20. ^ "Hockey India congratulates Hardik Singh on completing 100 international appearances". Asian News International. 28 July 2023. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
  21. ^ "India hockey star Hardik Singh focuses on team play for Olympics success". Mintlounge. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 5 April 2024.
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