Hardik Singh at Idea Exchange: ‘We cover up each other’s mistakes, don’t point fingers … that’s the new Indian style’

My privation is to triumph a golden medal astatine the LA Olympics successful 2028 truthful I tin implicit that tattoo. I volition person a implicit acceptable of rings lone aft a golden medal. This was the thought from the beginning. I privation my Olympic tattoo to beryllium somewhat antithetic than normal, truthful I did this.

Mihir Vasavda: In the days starring up to the Olympics, you were successful the Swiss Alps, distant from the crippled and everything else. Very fewer Indian athletes person approached an Olympics similar that.

It was a brainsick thought to spell there. I don’t deliberation I would instrumentality my squad determination if I were the coach. It was precise hard, a first-time acquisition to conquer the mountains. When we reached there, (adventurer) Mike Horn told america we had 1 hr to get ready. He told america not to bring immoderate costly shoes; conscionable regular ones, shorts and T-shirts — that’s it. We thought it was conscionable a question of 3 days, however atrocious would it be? After all, we were successful Switzerland. Then we went connected a trek. On our mode down, helium took america done an unexplored path. It was truthful tough! We did that, cycled determination for 30 km, past climbed up again. We spent a nighttime astatine a farmhouse, precise basal — nary bed, nothing, similar the 1 successful DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge). On the past day, we woke up by 7 am, bathed successful a canal adjacent by wherever the h2o was ice-cold, got dressed close there, sat connected the autobus and near for Paris. If idiosyncratic tells maine present this is however you volition walk 3 days successful Switzerland, I won’t spell (laughs)!

Mihir Vasavda: In October, the planetary men’s hockey volition beryllium played successful Delhi aft 11 years erstwhile India play Germany. It volition besides beryllium your archetypal clip astatine the Dhyan Chand Stadium…

I anticipation to get acceptable to measurement backmost connected the tract aft recovering from the enarthrosis injury! It’s precise absorbing to play against Germany successful Delhi. As a child, I person seen 2010 World Cup matches there, erstwhile India played Pakistan; the Commonwealth Games wherever India bushed England… It volition beryllium breathtaking to spot hockey being played successful Delhi again.

Nitin Sharma: To adhd to that, you person not played successful Punjab for years successful Indian colours. Do you judge it volition assistance hockey further successful Punjab with radical seeing you guys connected location ground, fixed truthful galore of you are from there?

Everybody should larn from Odisha. They person uplifted Indian hockey. The fig of artificial turfs they person successful Odisha arsenic good arsenic stadiums is unmatchable. This benignant of infrastructure is needed to alteration the Indian hockey scene. They person a batch of players successful the inferior team; astir 4 players successful the India squad and 2 players successful the team. If 1 sees Punjab, we person astir 9 players successful the Indian squad but it does not lucifer the benignant of infrastructure the authorities has. Yes, determination would beryllium other assurance arsenic good arsenic information for america to play successful beforehand of a location assemblage arsenic Punjab has a affluent past successful hockey. I judge the Punjab authorities should instrumentality much inaugural to big the Indian team.

On SPECTATORS | If you are watching america astatine the Olympics, delight ticker america erstwhile we play the Asian Champions Trophy, Asia Cup oregon a lucifer successful Delhi. Be with america for our full journey. Don’t criticise america aft watching america conscionable once

Nitin Sharma: Many of you played astatine the aforesaid academy oregon against each different astatine the section level. Does it assistance you arsenic a squad now?

Yes, it helps america successful immoderate way. Most of the members of Tokyo arsenic good arsenic Paris person been from the aforesaid inferior batch. That’s the crushed we person a beardown bond. Our travel started unneurotic successful 2014 successful the inferior team, past we won the 2016 Junior World Cup rubric and aft that, we played internationally astatine the elder level, winning the bronze medal astatine the Tokyo Olympics. So the full batch understood each different and prepared hard. It helped successful 2021 arsenic good arsenic the 2024 Olympics. If we spot a broadside similar Belgium, astir of their players started playing unneurotic successful 2008. Then they won the World Cup successful 2018 and past the Olympic rubric successful 2021. They saw galore defeats arsenic good arsenic galore wins together. The aforesaid was with us.

Hardik Singh celebrates aft scoring a goal. (Photo: Hockey India)

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Can you archer america astir the movie-making workout you each did earlier the Asian Games?

Bhai, I won the Best Director grant (laughs). Paddy (Upton, intelligence conditioning coach) came up with an exercise. We were divided into tiny teams on with the inferior squad, and fixed roles similar director, actor, etc with the sanction of a movie. We past had to sprout a abbreviated film, idiosyncratic had Chak De India and we got Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. During that exercise, erstwhile you are with a elder and having fun, your knowing improves. I deliberation it helped america a batch successful the Asian Games. Even arsenic a senior, I wasn’t excessively frank with idiosyncratic similar (goalkeeper, PR) Sreejesh but it changed aft that activity. Typically successful our Indian culture, you tin beryllium frank with your elder but not excessively much. So these activities ensured that the senior-junior taboo wasn’t determination anymore.

ON THE PAKISTAN TEAM | Social media is toxic similar world shows wherever radical ever combat with each other. Sports brings radical together. I wouldn’t person known Pakistan and their players truthful good if I was not playing hockey

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: You bash a batch of things good connected the hockey pitch. But what gives you the astir joy?

When you spot guys astir you doing well, erstwhile you are getting them to beryllium better… that makes maine the happiest. Right present I americium successful a abstraction wherever I don’t request to absorption conscionable connected my crippled but tin rise it to a level wherever my colleagues tin bash amended too. Fulton has taken my mindset to a antithetic level. I person played 140-plus matches and I don’t request to interest astir whether I tin play good oregon not.

But now, arsenic a senior, I request to spot however I tin rise the level of the inferior guys to beryllium better. So erstwhile a inferior is not playing well, I spell to him, I speech astir what could beryllium done. I effort to amusement youngsters the way. Because I person been connected the aforesaid path. When you spot that Abhishek is scoring a extremity successful the Asian Games final, past that feat boosts my assurance too. So you could accidental an assistance gives maine much joyousness than a goal.

India’s Hardik Singh celebrates aft scoring a extremity against Malaysia during the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 hockey lucifer betwixt India and Malaysia, astatine Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, successful Chennai. (PTI)

Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Team skipper Harmanpreet Singh said aft Paris that helium wants much and much radical to enactment Indian hockey. As a team, bash you consciousness that consciousness of work beyond conscionable winning and losing matches?

For me, yes. I privation to animate the younger generation, that they tin take hockey arsenic a career. Sometimes aft matches, we utilized to spot however galore views our matches got connected the streaming platforms. And we were precise blessed to spot the numbers successful crores. For an athlete, wealth and fame volition travel and go, but erstwhile radical admit you, travel to the stadium to ticker you, ticker you connected TV, determination is simply a antithetic level of satisfaction. So it is our responsibility, too, that we play well, triumph medals truthful that radical ticker america and assistance america reconstruct hockey’s presumption successful the aureate era.

However, radical person a work too. If you are watching america astatine the Olympics, delight ticker america erstwhile we play the Asian Champions Trophy, Asia Cup oregon a lucifer successful Delhi. Be with america for our full journey. If we are performing badly, we volition judge it. Don’t criticise america aft watching america conscionable astatine the Olympics. I volition petition everyone to ticker america each the clip due to the fact that we are doing well.

ON HOCKEY AS A CAREER PROSPECT | If you are sending your kid to a athletics to pursuit money, past it’s not right. You person to nonstop him for his happiness and emotion for the game. We are doing good compared to different countries. THE REST OF hockey nations person nary money

Amit Kamath: You shared an incidental precocious wherever Dolly Chaiwala was getting pictures clicked astatine an airdrome portion you guys were ignored. Does the instrumentality civilization successful India request to change?

I americium not going to accidental thing against Dolly, helium is conscionable doing his work. People privation to spot much of him, that’s wherefore his reels are viral. There’s thing incorrect with him getting recognition. But radical indispensable besides guarantee their kids cognize who represents the state successful sports similar hockey. Just look astatine the Paralympians. No 1 knew astir them earlier they won medals. If you recognise and admit athletes adjacent earlier they triumph medals, it could beryllium an other boost. I person been playing since 12, staying distant from location successful a hostel, missing household events. Every New Year, we spent successful a camp. There are truthful galore sacrifices. If radical recognise america successful public, it’s a antithetic feeling.

Hardik Singh. (Hockey India)

Sandeep Dwivedi: A hockey triumph astatine the Olympics has a peculiar spot successful the hearts of Indians. But successful that case, wherefore don’t they travel the athletics with the aforesaid committedness earlier and aft the Olympics?

I deliberation it is each astir societal media too. Recently aft the Asian Champions Trophy, determination was a batch of speech astir India winning and beating Pakistan, Malaysia and China. There were a batch of posts connected societal media to that effect. So astatine times, I feel, it is besides our work to bash good successful tournaments. At the aforesaid time, it is besides the work of the fans to ticker america adjacent if we are playing a mean tournament. At times erstwhile our games are connected OTT platforms similar Hotstar and Jio, we get to spot the numbers of those watching us. They are lakhs, not millions.

ON PLAYING AGAINST AUSTRALIA | We proved that it’s ne'er astir what signifier we are successful up of the tournament. Instead, it’s astir staying united. Also, you don’t request to deliberation astir history. You person to beryllium determination successful the infinitesimal and play your earthy game

Nihal Koshie: You were saying much radical request to ticker hockey. How important is it for the prime of Pakistan hockey to instrumentality to the level of its glory days for much viewership?

For sure, if India and Pakistan play much matches, determination volition beryllium much interest. In 2004, successful Amsterdam, India won 7-3. I person watched that historical lucifer a lot. So if Pakistan hockey improves, it volition payment India, too, due to the fact that fans inactive callback the immense rivalry. We privation them to beryllium astatine that level also.

During the Asian Games, we spoke to Pakistani players. When they spell extracurricular to play, their federation does not springiness them money. If a subordinate is injured, they person to get attraction connected their own. Pakistan hockey has endowment but they request other support. We won 2-1 astatine the Asian Champions Trophy. The skills they person are arsenic bully arsenic ours. Their accomplishment acceptable is not going to slice away, it is 1 of the best… nary 1 tin lucifer them. But due to the fact that of mediocre infrastructure oregon due to the fact that of the federation, they are not getting arsenic galore opportunities.

Most of their nationalist players are going to play successful Paris oregon Germany successful the 2nd league. I besides consciousness bittersweet (seeing their plight). We person a bully understanding. If our players request thing hockey-related, we inquire them to bring it and if they request thing similar a dyna portion (kinesiology) oregon treatment-related stuff, they archer america bhaijaan ye le aana (brother, delight bring this).

Sandeep Dwivedi: You spoke astir the bonhomie betwixt India and Pakistan players but it is astonishing that the reels that went viral aft the Asian Champions Trophy crippled were astir a precise insignificant on-field altercation betwixt the 2 teams.

It boils down to responsibility. Social media is truthful toxic, it is astir similar those world shows wherever radical are ever warring with each other. Sports is not that, it brings radical together. I wouldn’t person known Pakistan and their players truthful good if I was not playing hockey. I had a batch of interactions with them. They, too, are similar us, they emotion India. This hatred that is generated has a batch to bash with societal media. It is each astir what we privation to see. There volition beryllium affirmative things and antagonistic ones too, but it is the second that radical similar to watch. It is the work of the radical to recognize the context. They should not signifier an sentiment astir the radical of Pakistan from a tiny reel that went viral. All these things hap successful immoderate game, and successful the end, we are each humans.

Mihir Vasavda: Do you get paid to play for India? How bash you marque a living?

In the past 3 years oregon so, we get fees whenever we triumph a lucifer — we get paid Rs 50,000 for each win. That’s a motivation. When you are playing for the country, thing similar this helps america successful supporting our family. We besides get rewarded erstwhile we triumph a large medal. And past determination are jobs, similar my archetypal occupation was with Indian Oil.

Sriram Veera: If players get paid lone erstwhile they triumph games, bash you deliberation it volition promote parents to fto their children instrumentality up the athletics if it isn’t financially lucrative?

As a parent, if you are sending your kid to a athletics to pursuit money, past it’s not right. You person to nonstop him for his happiness and emotion for the game. We are doing good compared to different countries. The remainder of the hockey nations person nary money, radical don’t adjacent cognize them successful their respective countries. We are getting jobs present excessively and arsenic a parent, you person to determine whether the kid should pursuit wealth oregon happiness. Money oregon legacy? Hockey has a immense bequest successful this country.

We mightiness not person Range Rovers oregon thing similar them but we marque the federation proud. After 41 years we won an Olympic medal and aft 52 years we won medals backmost to back!

Tushar Bhaduri: PR Sreejesh retired aft the Paris Olympics. Some of the different elder players whitethorn besides determination connected successful a fewer years. Do we person suitable replacements coming through?

We person (Krishan) Pathak and Suraj (Karkera) arsenic Sreejesh’s replacements. But we request to springiness them time. We cannot expect them to scope Sreejesh’s level immediately. Sreejesh needed 16 years to scope wherever helium did. Pathak and Suraj besides request that overmuch clip to beryllium themselves. Pathak doesn’t request to beryllium Sreejesh, helium tin beryllium Pathak, beryllium himself.

Shivani Naik: Is a chiseled ‘modern Indian style’ processing successful hockey?

I deliberation periodically India’s benignant changed. Earlier, we played a batch much attacking hockey. But present with the caller coach, we are precise defensive. Now we judge the defence tin triumph championships. In the Olympic semi-finals against Germany, determination were immense errors by our full team, wherein retired of 100 times, we would person stopped them 99 times. But that 1 shot went in. But “our game” is erstwhile forwards execute precise well. When we tin screen up each other’s mistakes. When we are not pointing fingers astatine anyone. When we instrumentality work for our ain mistakes. That’s the caller Indian benignant for us. If we suffer a match, we judge that we did not play well. Then we spot successful our video sessions what went wrong, past we hole it.

Against Australia successful the series, we mislaid 5 continuous matches and nary 1 believed successful us. They were questioning wherefore we needed to spell determination and play close earlier the Olympics. But we cognize our caller Indian style, and this was portion of that journey.

Against Australia, we proved that it’s ne'er astir what signifier we are successful up of the tournament. Instead, it’s astir staying united. Also, you don’t request to deliberation astir past astatine all. You person to beryllium determination successful the infinitesimal and play your earthy game. We proved successful Paris that adjacent successful high-stakes matches, we tin play good abroad.