Hardik Singh
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Achievements
2016-18
IIn 2017, he almost left Indian shores to play club hockey overseas. But then his uncle and former India player Jugraj Singh made Hardik sit down and think. "Weigh your options against your age," he was told. At 19, Hardik was only exiting his teens. So he thought about it real hard.
"What were my chances when I ran along the sidelines as a ball boy?" he asked himself. This was 2013, at the inaugural Hockey India League (HIL). The then 15-year-old Hardik had moved from his village Khusropur in Jalandhar to the Mohali Hockey Academy (MHA) the previous year. In 12 months, he was seeing top Indian and international stars up close, albeit as a ball boy.
By 2016, he had spent four years at the academy, when the call he had been waiting for finally arrived. Hardik was named India vice-captain for the sub-junior Asia Cup. India won gold and he became hot property at the HIL auctions. The defensive midfielder with $2600 base price went for $39,000 to Punjab Warriors.
In a matter of months, he graduated from sub-junior to the India junior level for the four-nations cup in Spain. Things were moving at a fast pace. That's probably why a dry spell in terms of international call-ups in 2017 tested Hardik's patience, and he thought of flying to Netherlands for club hockey.
Sitting in front of uncle Jugraj, Hardik understood the experience his mom's cousin carried . The words sunk in and he decided to stay back in India.
Hardik dug deep, plied his trade in the domestic circuit and was named Player of the Series at a tournament in Mumbai.
His knock at the national team's door was then answered when he was included in the core probables and subsequently for the Asian Champions Trophy earlier this year.
Then, the World Cup selectors met. And Hardik's big day arrived.
"Frankly, I didn't expect to be part of the World Cup squad," he told TimesofIndia.com with a smile.
"I was among the core probables and was selected for the Asian Champions Trophy. Then the World Cup happened," he added, and then smiled again.
Hardik is, in fact, part of the fifth generation of hockey players in his family.
His father, Varinderpreet Singh, and grandfather both played hockey. Former India captain Rajbir Kaur is Hardik's aunt and married to Olympian Gurmail Singh. Then, of course, there's Jugraj - who redefined drag-flick in Indian hockey.
"Everybody at home was happy, especially my father who was also a hockey player. He wanted to play a World Cup but somehow it didn't happen. He is filled with pride to see his son being selected for India's World Cup team," Hardik said, choking a little with emotion.
"When I was playing the HIL, my grandfather passed away. If he were alive today, he would have been proud to see me realising his dream," Hardik said.
Sharing space with international stars like Sardar Singh, SV Sunil, Tristan Clemons and Mink van der Weerden in the Punjab Warriors dugout at the HIL helped Hardik channel his excitement before the senior India call-up.
And he also stresses on the point that playing the HIL gave him an experience similar to that of an international arena.
"HIL was an international tournament for me, because I hadn't played with international players ever. When you get into an Indian dressing room, that excitement increases because you are playing for your country. There is some pressure too, but if I keep thinking about it, I won't be able to give my 100 percent," Hardik spoke like a thorough professional.
As India coach, Harendra Singh has handled Hardik well. He knows how the youngsters can be best utilised. In fact, that was one of things that stood out in India's junior World Cup win under Harendra in 2016. The players repaid the trust their coach had put in them.
Hardik wants to emulate that. "My role is both in defence and the midfield," he explained. "Harendra sir has asked me to play my normal hockey and not to try anything extraordinary. I am doing exactly that," he said.
Hardik may also get the financial cushion every sportsperson needs to focus on the game better. He was recently interviewed by a major Indian PSU (public sector undertaking) for a job, and in the young man's words, "it went well".
He didn't want to end the conversation without mentioning Jugraj, whose advice to keep working hard and stay put in India proved prophetic.
"If it was not for him (Jugraj), I would have been playing in some foreign league now. Instead, I am going to play the World Cup. A lot of credit for that goes to Jugraj paaji."
