Sticks Ready, Eyes Steady

Ahead of their team's Australia tour, Indian men's hockey team vice-captain Hardik Singh and first-time player from Karnataka, Poovanna CB, reflect on their personal growth, the wins and losses, and aspirations for the 2026 World Cup

- MAHIMA NAGARAJU

“I think we are back to how we were ahead of the Paris Olympics last year,” says star midfielder Hardik Singh during a chat after what has been an unusual day for the Indian hockey team — they’ve just finished playing a casual game of Kabaddi with the Gujarat Giants at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) grounds — a day before they board flights to Australia to compete in a four-match series. He adds, “Everyone has been focusing on their physical form. We’ve had to keep in mind that Australia plays very physical matches and their mind-set is really strong — we need to match that.”

Having won the 2022 Asian Games and scored a bronze at the last two Olympics, the last few years have been big for the Indian men’s field hockey team, which Singh has been vice-captaining since 2023. Reflecting on his personal growth as a leader, the Arjuna awardee says, “I’ve seen many captains in my junior and senior term years like PR Sreejesh, Manpreet Singh and Harmanpreet Singh, so I’ve learnt what happens in captaincy and how to treat juniors — appreciating them can really raise confidence and boost the game. But in this team, we don’t need a single leader, but five to six in every match who can show the team how things are to be done.”