Hardik Singh at Idea Exchange: ‘We cover up each other’s makes, don’t point fingers … that’s the new Indian style’ | Sport-others News

Vice captain Hardik Singh on Indian hockey’s revival, the unique team-building exercises in the build-up to the Olympics, how playing more frequently with Pakan could help both nations and the importance of having all-weather fans. The session was moderated Deputy Associate Editor Mihir VasavdaMihir Vasavda: You have an Olympic rings tattoo on your arm but the top part of the centre ring is incomplete. Why is it so?
My wish is to win a gold medal at the LA Olympics in 2028 so I can complete that tattoo. I will have a complete set of rings only after a gold medal. This was the idea from the beginning. I want my Olympic tattoo to be slightly different than normal, so I did this.
Mihir Vasavda: In the days leading up to the Olympics, you were in the Swiss Alps, away from the game and everything else. Very few Indian athletes have approached an Olympics like that.
It was a crazy idea to go there. I don’t think I would take my team there if I were the coach. It was very hard, a first-time experience to conquer the mountains. When we reached there, (adventurer) Mike Horn told us we had one hour to get ready. He told us not to bring any expensive shoes; just routine ones, shorts and T-shirts — that’s it. We thought it was just a question of three days, how bad would it be? After all, we were in Switzerland. Then we went on a trek. On our way down, he took us through an unexplored path. It was so tough! We did that, cycled there for 30 km, then climbed up again. We spent a night at a farmhouse, very basic — no bed, nothing, like the one in DDLJ (Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge). On the last day, we woke up 7 am, bathed in a canal close where the water was ice-cold, got dressed right there, sat on the bus and left for Paris. If someone tells me now this is how you will spend three days in Switzerland, I won’t go (laughs)!

Mihir Vasavda: In October, the international men’s hockey will be played in Delhi after 11 years when India play Germany. It will also be your first time at the Dhyan Chand Stadium…
I hope to get ready to step back on the field after recovering from the shoulder injury! It’s very interesting to play against Germany in Delhi. As a child, I have seen 2010 World Cup matches there, when India played Pakan; the Commonwealth Games where India beat England… It will be exciting to see hockey being played in Delhi again.

Nitin Sharma: To add to that, you have not played in Punjab for years in Indian colours. Do you believe it will help hockey further in Punjab with people seeing you guys on home ground, given so many of you are from there?
Everybody should learn from Odisha. They have uplifted Indian hockey. The number of artificial turfs they have in Odisha as well as stadiums is unmatchable. This kind of infrastructure is needed to change the Indian hockey scene. They have a lot of players in the junior team; about four players in the India squad and two players in the team. If one sees Punjab, we have about nine players in the Indian team but it does not match the kind of infrastructure the state has. Yes, there would be extra confidence as well as motivation for us to play in front of a home crowd as Punjab has a rich hory in hockey. I believe the Punjab government should take more initiative to host the Indian team.
On SPECTATORS | If you are watching us at the Olympics, please watch us when we play the Asian Champions Trophy, Asia Cup or a match in Delhi. Be with us for our whole journey. Don’t criticise us after watching us just once
Nitin Sharma: Many of you played at the same academy or against each other at the local level. Does it help you as a team now?
Yes, it helps us in some way. Most of the members of Tokyo as well as Paris have been from the same junior batch. That’s the reason we have a strong bond. Our journey started together in 2014 in the junior team, then we won the 2016 Junior World Cup title and after that, we played internationally at the senior level, winning the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. So the whole batch understood each other and prepared hard. It helped in 2021 as well as the 2024 Olympics. If we see a side like Belgium, most of their players started playing together in 2008. Then they won the World Cup in 2018 and then the Olympic title in 2021. They saw many defeats as well as many wins together. The same was with us.
Hardik Singh celebrates after scoring a goal. (Photo: Hockey India)
Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Can you tell us about the movie-making exercise you all did before the Asian Games?
Bhai, I won the Best Director award (laughs). Paddy (Upton, mental conditioning coach) came up with an exercise. We were split into small teams along with the junior squad, and given roles like director, actor, etc with the name of a movie. We then had to shoot a short film, someone had Chak De India and we got Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar. During that exercise, when you are with a senior and having fun, your understanding improves. I think it helped us a lot in the Asian Games. Even as a senior, I wasn’t too frank with someone like (goalkeeper, PR) Sreejesh but it changed after that activity. Typically in our Indian culture, you can be frank with your senior but not too much. So these activities ensured that the senior-junior taboo wasn’t there anymore.
ON THE PAKAN TEAM | Social media is toxic like reality shows where people always fight with each other. Sports brings people together. I wouldn’t have known Pakan and their players so well if I was not playing hockey
Vinayakk Mohanarangan: You do a lot of things well on the hockey pitch. But what gives you the most joy?
When you see guys around you doing well, when you are getting them to be better… that makes me the happiest. Right now I am in a space where I don’t need to focus just on my game but can raise it to a level where my colleagues can do better too. Fulton has taken my mindset to a different level. I have played 140-plus matches and I don’t need to worry about whether I can play well or not.
But now, as a senior, I need to see how I can raise the level of the junior guys to be better. So when a junior is not playing well, I go to him, I talk about what could be done. I try to show youngsters the way. Because I have been on the same path. When you see that Abhishek is scoring a goal in the Asian Games final, then that feat boosts my confidence too. So you could say an ass gives me more joy than a goal.
India’s Hardik Singh celebrates after scoring a goal against Malaysia during the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 hockey match between India and Malaysia, at Mayor Radhakrishnan Hockey Stadium, in Chennai. (PTI)
Vinayakk Mohanarangan: Team captain Harmanpreet Singh said after Paris that he wants more and more people to support Indian hockey. As a team, do you feel that sense of responsibility beyond just winning and losing matches?
For me, yes. I want to inspire the younger generation, that they can choose hockey as a career. Sometimes after matches, we used to see how many views our matches got on the streaming platforms. And we were very happy to see the numbers in crores. For an athlete, money and fame will come and go, but when people appreciate you, come to the stadium to watch you, watch you on TV, there is a different level of satisfaction. So it is our responsibility, too, that we play well, win medals so that people watch us and help us restore hockey’s status in the golden era.
However, people have a responsibility too. If you are watching us at the Olympics, please watch us when we play the Asian Champions Trophy, Asia Cup or a match in Delhi. Be with us for our whole journey. If we are performing badly, we will accept it. Don’t criticise us after watching us just at the Olympics. I will request everyone to watch us all the time because we are doing well.
ON HOCKEY AS A CAREER PROSPECT | If you are sending your kid to a sport to chase money, then it’s not right. You have to send him for his happiness and love for the game. We are doing well compared to other countries. THE REST OF hockey nations have no money
Amit Kamath: You shared an incident recently where Dolly Chaiwala was getting pictures clicked at an airport while you guys were ignored. Does the fan culture in India need to change?
I am not going to say anything against Dolly, he is just doing his work. People want to see more of him, that’s why his reels are viral. There’s nothing wrong with him getting recognition. But people must also ensure their kids know who represents the country in sports like hockey. Just look at the Paralympians. No one knew about them before they won medals. If you recognise and appreciate athletes even before they win medals, it could be an extra boost. I have been playing since 12, staying away from home in a hostel, missing family events. Every New Year, we spent in a camp. There are so many sacrifices. If people recognise us in public, it’s a different feeling.
Hardik Singh. (Hockey India)
Sandeep Dwivedi: A hockey win at the Olympics has a special place in the hearts of Indians. But in that case, why don’t they follow the sport with the same commitment before and after the Olympics?
I think it is all about social media too. Recently after the Asian Champions Trophy, there was a lot of talk about India winning and beating Pakan, Malaysia and China. There were a lot of posts on social media to that effect. So at times, I feel, it is also our responsibility to do well in tournaments. At the same time, it is also the responsibility of the fans to watch us even if we are playing a normal tournament. At times when our games are on OTT platforms like Hotstar and Jio, we get to see the numbers of those watching us. They are lakhs, not millions.
ON PLAYING AGAINST AUSTRALIA | We proved that it’s never about what form we are in ahead of the tournament. Instead, it’s about staying united. Also, you don’t need to think about hory. You have to be there in the moment and play your natural game
Nihal Koshie: You were saying more people need to watch hockey. How important is it for the quality of Pakan hockey to return to the level of its glory days for more viewership?
For sure, if India and Pakan play more matches, there will be more interest. In 2004, in Amsterdam, India won 7-3. I have watched that horic match a lot. So if Pakan hockey improves, it will benefit India, too, because fans still recall the huge rivalry. We want them to be at that level also.
During the Asian Games, we spoke to Pakani players. When they go outside to play, their federation does not give them money. If a player is injured, they have to get treatment on their own. Pakan hockey has talent but they need extra support. We won 2-1 at the Asian Champions Trophy. The skills they have are as good as ours. Their skill set is not going to fade away, it is one of the best… no one can match them. But because of poor infrastructure or because of the federation, they are not getting as many opportunities.
Most of their national players are going to play in Paris or Germany in the second league. I also feel sad (seeing their plight). We have a good understanding. If our players need something hockey-related, we ask them to bring it and if they need something like a dyna tape (kinesiology) or treatment-related stuff, they tell us bhaijaan ye le aana (brother, please bring this).
Sandeep Dwivedi: You spoke about the bonhomie between India and Pakan players but it is surprising that the reels that went viral after the Asian Champions Trophy game were about a very minor on-field altercation between the two teams.
It boils down to responsibility. Social media is so toxic, it is almost like those reality shows where people are always fighting with each other. Sports is not that, it brings people together. I wouldn’t have known Pakan and their players so well if I was not playing hockey. I had a lot of interactions with them. They, too, are like us, they love India. This hatred that is generated has a lot to do with social media. It is all about what we want to see. There will be positive things and negative ones too, but it is the latter that people like to watch. It is the responsibility of the people to understand the context. They should not form an opinion about the people of Pakan from a small reel that went viral. All these things happen in any game, and in the end, we are all humans.
Mihir Vasavda: Do you get paid to play for India? How do you make a living?
In the last three years or so, we get fees whenever we win a match — we get paid Rs 50,000 for every win. That’s a motivation. When you are playing for the country, something like this helps us in supporting our family. We also get rewarded when we win a big medal. And then there are jobs, like my first job was with Indian Oil.
Sriram Veera: If players get paid only when they win games, do you think it will encourage parents to let their children take up the sport if it isn’t financially lucrative?
As a parent, if you are sending your kid to a sport to chase money, then it’s not right. You have to send him for his happiness and love for the game. We are doing well compared to other countries. The rest of the hockey nations have no money, people don’t even know them in their respective countries. We are getting jobs here too and as a parent, you have to decide whether the kid should chase money or happiness. Money or legacy? Hockey has a huge legacy in this country.
We might not have Range Rovers or something like them but we make the nation proud. After 41 years we won an Olympic medal and after 52 years we won medals back to back!
Tushar Bhaduri: PR Sreejesh retired after the Paris Olympics. Some of the other senior players may also move on in a few years. Do we have suitable replacements coming through?
We have (Krishan) Pathak and Suraj (Karkera) as Sreejesh’s replacements. But we need to give them time. We cannot expect them to reach Sreejesh’s level immediately. Sreejesh needed 16 years to reach where he did. Pathak and Suraj also need that much time to be themselves. Pathak doesn’t need to be Sreejesh, he can be Pathak, be himself.
Shivani Naik: Is a dinct ‘modern Indian style’ developing in hockey?
I think periodically India’s style changed. Earlier, we played a lot more attacking hockey. But now with the new coach, we are very defensive. Now we believe the defence can win championships. In the Olympic semi-finals against Germany, there were huge errors our whole team, wherein out of 100 times, we would have stopped them 99 times. But that one ball went in. But “our game” is when forwards execute very well. When we can cover up each other’s makes. When we are not pointing fingers at anyone. When we take responsibility for our own makes. That’s the new Indian style for us. If we lose a match, we accept that we did not play well. Then we see in our video sessions what went wrong, then we fix it.
Against Australia in the series, we lost five continuous matches and no one believed in us. They were questioning why we needed to go there and play right before the Olympics. But we know our new Indian style, and this was part of that journey.
Against Australia, we proved that it’s never about what form we are in ahead of the tournament. Instead, it’s about staying united. Also, you don’t need to think about hory at all. You have to be there in the moment and play your natural game. We proved in Paris that even in high-stakes matches, we can play well abroad.