Tokyo 2020:' Winning an Olympic medal for India is one of my dreams,' says Hockey captain Manpreet Singh
All of these players gave me the confidence to play my own game without fear or anxiety. Even when I made some mistakes in the beginning, they gave me their full support and always encouraged me to express myself on the field without any fear. That was a great environment for a youngster like me to come into the National Team.”
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Since his debut, Manpreet has established himself as one of the core members of the Indian Men’s Team in the last decade. He has been a Member of Indian teams which have won prestigious tournaments like the 2014 Asian Games, 2011 and 2018 Asian Champions Trophy, and two hard-fought Bronze medals in the FIH World League in 2015 and 2017.
Manpreet was named Captain of the Indian National Team for the first time in 2017, and the team has gone on to steadily rise in the FIH World Rankings under his leadership.
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Speaking about his own style of leadership, the Indian Skipper said, “I have picked up a lot from the experienced players and team Captains before me. We have a culture in this team where there is no distinction between senior players and junior players. Everyone in the team drives each other on to play without hesitation or fear. We support each other through on-field and off-field problems and always try to uplift the morale of the group. Even in this team, I always heed the advice and inputs of experienced players like PR Sreejesh, Rupinder Pal Singh, and Birendra Lakra as everyone is keen to help in the growth of the team.”
