Indian men’s hockey team made Tokyo Olympics 2020 a memorable event. Olympic 2020 has been the best for India in four decades. The country finished at 48th place on the medal tally. Indian will remember the 2020 Olympics for many reasons, and one of them is to bring the good memories of golden hockey days.
India men’s hockey team brought bronze medal to the home country after 41 years. After witnessing one of the best performances of India’s hockey team, both men and women, we are looking at the next Olympics where the teams can win gold. Hockey is like a classic choice for Indians. The youngsters are after cricket, but there was a time when the Indian men’s hockey team was unbeatable. The India men’s hockey team has given us hope to witness the golden days of hockey. After winning the bronze medal in Tokyo Olympics 2020, the Indian men’s hockey team has etched their achievement and name in history.
India’s hockey team wins a medal against Germany in a thrilling match. The intense and exciting match glued the viewers with their seats. The stunning game by the Indian hockey team made them pull the match from Germany’s hockey team. Indian hockey is getting so much appreciation that it becomes a must to know about them. So let’s know about the team that scripted history in the Olympics and earn a podium finish.
Know the Indian Men’s Hockey Team
Indian men’s hockey team has scripted history in Olympics 2020. The credit goes to the team and the coach. Here let’s know who they are and their role in the team.
Graham Reid (Coach Indian men’s hockey team)
The head coach of the Indian hockey team played an essential role in their journey from practice sessions to the Olympic podium. Graham Reid was appointed the head coach to the men’s hockey team of India in 2019. He is a former Australian hockey player. In the Australian hockey team, he played as defender and midfielder. He played 130 international matches, and his managerial career started in 2009.
Manpreet Singh (Captain Indian men’s hockey team)
The captain of India’s hockey team Manpreet is famous for its determination and ultimate hold on stick. He has won the honour of FIH Player of the year in the 2019 year. Former Indian hockey player Padam Shri Pragat Singh is his inspiration. He has played different hockey competition where lead the Indian men’s hockey team. Manpreet said the team’s victory over Germany in Olympics 2020 made him speechless.
PR Sreejesh (Goal-keeper)
The goalkeeper of the Indian Men’s hockey team in the Tokyo Olympics represented a superb game. Before Olympics, his memorable game was in Asian Champion Trophy, where he saved two penalties from Pakistan. In the match against Germany, he played a vital role in the last few seconds to help his team to win bronze. He is known as the ‘wall of India’, and his game is the reason behind the tag.
Amit Rohidas (Defender)
Amit started showing interest in hockey since his childhood. However, his selection in the under 18 Indian hockey team has been a turning point for his career. He played under-18 Asia Cup played in 2009 as his first crucial international match. His corner charge in one of the matches made him a star player of the under-18 team. He is selected for Azlan Shah Cup 2013 as defender.
Rupinder Pal Singh
Career of Rupinder Pal Singh is full of achievements. The player’s game on the field can make any hockey lover his fan. He is a student of Chandigarh Hockey Academy, where he gets the attacking skills in hockey matches. His hat-trick in the 2010 Azlan Shah cup against Britain made him a star performer. In 2011 he was the top scorer. His drag flick is unbeatable. He’s worked on his skills and made them better. As a result, we have one more medal in Olympics 2020.
Harmanpreet Singh
The boy from the outskirts part of Amritsar has become a well-known personality after the mouth opening performance of the Indian Hockey team in Olympics 2020. Harmanpreet has had an interest in hockey since he was a kid. He wants to be a forward, but his fate and technique made him an Indian Men’s hockey team defender. He is a promising player that has the potential to bring many more medals home. His game and persona both are magical.
Surender Kumar
Haryana is known for its player in boxing, but now the state will also for Surender Kumar, the Indian men’s hockey team’s player. He belongs to Kernal, Haryana, where he started playing hockey in his school. His discipline, love for the game and better performance helped him enter the Junior group of Team India hockey players. From the junior group, he was acquired by HIL and called in the senior team. He played exceptionally well in Tokyo Olympics 2020.
Hardik Singh
Hardik plays as a midfielder in the Indian hockey team. The rivalry to be the midfielder in the national hockey team was high, but this young man could play for the country. He also proved his selection as a right decision by helping Gurjant Singh with a goal against Britain to enter the Olympics’ semifinals. He also scored a goal in the exact match. It was the 22nd goal of Hardik’s career in national hockey. India won that match 3-1. Hardik is the 5th generation of his family that plays hockey. So the game is in his blood. He’s passionate about the game and wants to carry forward the legacy of his family.
Nilakanta Sharma
Nilakanta Sharma is another gem for sports that comes from Manipur. The state is already in the news because of Olympics silver medalist Mirabai Chanu, and now Nilakanta Sharma brought more happiness to the people of his state. In Manipur, football is a popular game, but he chose hockey. Nilakanta Sharma played as a midfielder in the Indian hockey team that brought bronze from Tokyo.
Shamsher Singh
Shamsher played as a forward in the Indian hockey team. He comes from Attari and is the first person from the place that play hockey. He was a member of the 2016 team that missed the Junior World cup, but the player’s possibilities made him shine again. The players supported his players in all the games in the Olympics and got an appreciation for his speed on the field.
Mandeep Singh
The 26 years old player has good field experience as a forward. He comes from Jalandhar. The hockey player has also played for Surjit Singh Academy. He has also played in Hockey India League (HIL). Mandeep scored ten goals in thirteen matches and become one of the most talked-about hockey players in the league matches.
The player has also received a trophy for “Upcoming Player of the Tournament. In HIL, he played for Ranchi Rihons, and on international levels, he has played Asian Games, Aisa Cup, Asian Champion Trophy and a few other games. So, the hockey experts and selectors know about the potential of the player. Thus he was selected in the national team for Tokyo Olympics.
Dilpreet Singh
He is another player of the Indian men’s hockey team from Surjit Hockey Academy, Jalandhar. He was chosen for the national hockey team while he was playing for the academy. His performance throughout the Olympic games has been excellent, but he played exceptionally well against Britain. He has scored one out of three goals to make sure that the team play against Germany.
The Last Word
In Olympics 2020, only India’s hockey team doesn’t win. But, it was the victory of Indian hockey, the players’ determination to the game, and the hope of Indians. The Indian men’s hockey team didn’t bring only the bronze, but it brought a dream to win gold and become the best hockey team in the world again. Remember the names of the heroes. They deserve it.
