Bengaluiru: Taking a tiny detour from the conventional way of preparing for the Olympics, the Indian hockey team camped at Mike Horn’s base at the Swiss Alps for three days last week. The pit stop at one of the greatest adventurers' place was aimed at preparing their minds to be able to address the tough match situations that they may encounter at the French capital.
Among the lot, Harmanpreet Singh would have perhaps been the most attentive for he is leading a pack of 16 players in a discipline that is always expected to do well given its history of eight gold, one silver and three bronze medals at the Olympics.
“It makes me feel really proud. It's a big responsibility,” admits Harmanpreet about being entrusted with the skipper’s role at the Paris Games.
“As a captain, my main focus is to keep the team together on and off the field. I make sure that everybody is feeling good and comfortable to express themselves. It's important to boost those who aren't performing to their potential. We want to perform as a unit,” he tells DH.
Harmanpreet first donned the captain's hat for the Pro League in 2022 before becoming the regular leader of the side since the 2023 season.
The 28-year-old has his plate full as he is also India’s primary drag-flicker. With Jugraj Singh, who was pitted to be his wingman in the department, left behind in the alternative players list, the onus of converting penalty corners will lay heavily on Harmanpreet’s shoulders. But the defender is confident of other players in the team stepping up to the occasion.
“Whichever match we play, we analyse the opponents thoroughly. Things such as, the variations employed by the opponents in the defence and how best to tackle such situations to beat them and score,” says Harmanpreet who will be looking for Amit Rohidas and Sanjay to be able flicking aides.
Ranked seventh in the world rankings, the run-up event in Australia wasn't particularly eventful. This was followed by five wins and three losses in the European leg of the Hockey Pro League in May-June. But Harmanpreet assured that the 'not-so-inspiring' outings were about learnings more than the result.
“These matches were very important for us because we managed to execute all the experiments we planned. We have tried all possible combinations and been successful in chalking out concrete plans for each team. Now, we hope to put it all in use in Paris.”
India are placed in Pool B alongside defending champions Belgium, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand, and Ireland. And the skipper knows every opponent is tough.
“The Olympics is such a tournament where we cannot afford to take any team lightly. All of them are good and come there with good preparation and mindset. Our team’s mentality will be to focus on one match at a time,” says the captain.
Harmanpreet was the youngest member of the Indian squad at the 2016 Rio Games and an integral part of the bronze medal-winning team in Tokyo 2020. With 219 caps and 188 goals to his name, he is now headed for his third Olympics. As the leader of the side which has five players competing in their maiden Olympics, Harmanpreet has some wise words for the young guns looking to etch history.
“There is always excitement when you are playing your first Olympics. Because there are a lot of distractions. It will take a good two days for acclaimitising themselves to the new environment.
“But the youngsters in the side have 50-plus matches under their belt and have matured well over the past few months. So they know their roles well. Just like my seniors helped me, the experienced ones in the side will always back the other guys,” Harmanpreet concludes.