INDIA'S HOCKEY CAPTAIN IS A FORCE OF NATURE

Harmanpreet Singh led the country to its second consecutive podium at the Paris Olympics.

- BHANUJ KAPPAL

HARMANPREET SINGH IS Indian hockey's answer to Cristiano Ronaldo (minus the late-career heel turn). The 28-year-old defender and drag-flick specialist is a talismanic figure—an international superstar who scores goals for fun, a leader both on and off the field, and one of the main architects of Indian hockey's recent resurgence.

He played a key role in breaking India's 41-year medal drought at the Olympics, his goals powering the team to a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Four years later, he did it again, this time as the team captain. His leadership, and his ability to deliver in clutch moments, have earned him the nickname “Sarpanch Sahab”.

He's a three-time winner of the FIH Player of the Year award, international hockey's most prestigious individual accolade. To top it off, Punjab's Soorma Hockey Club paid ₹78 lakh for his ser- vices at this year's Hockey India League auction, making him the league's most expensive player ever.

With all these achievements under his belt, you'd forgive Singh for a little bit of ego, the chip on your shoulder that comes with being recognized as one of the best in the world. But Singh remains humble and soft-spoken, a real son of the soil. When we sit down for a chat, he's patient and deliberative, punctuating his responses with a respectful “sir”.

“My father keeps me grounded,” he says, speaking over Zoom from his home in Amritsar. “Even when I won an Olympic medal, after two days of celebration, I got a message from him saying ‘Bas, ab ho gaya’. Get back to work, focus on your next goal. Don't get too satisfied.”