A stalwart of Indian hockey, Manpreet Singh captained India to their first Olympic medal in 41 years at Tokyo in 2021 and three years later, he etched his name in the history books by competing in his fourth consecutive Olympics—a remarkable feat on its own. The icing on the cake for the Indian veteran was the bronze medal India at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Fresh off the triumph at Paris, News18 Sports caught up with the former India captain as he reflected on a journey filled with highs and lows, from the early struggles in London 2012 to the podium finishes in Tokyo and Paris.
With 378 caps for India, Manpreet is only behind Dilip Tirkey for most appearances for India and with 4 Olympic Games, three Commonweath Games, four World Cups and three Asian Games appearances, Manpreet has been India’s mainstay for a long time and has proved his worth winning the FIH player of the year award in 2019, Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna in 2021.
In this candid interview, Manpreet opens up about his legacy, the inspiration drawn from legends like Dhanraj Pillay, and the commitment that has fuelled his illustrious career.
Excerpts:
Manpreet, competing in four Olympic Games is an extraordinary feat. How does it feel to be part of such an elite group, and what did your fourth Olympics mean to you personally?
To be honest It was a very proud moment personally that I was going to play my fourth Olympics. Along with that it was also about our performance in the previous Olympics, like we won the bronze in Tokyo so wanted to perform in the same way in Paris also. If I look at it as a whole, the first Olympics out of the four Olympics (that I have been part of), that one (London 2012) did not go well for me and for Shri (PR Sreejesh), because we finished twelfth there.
We did not win any match there. Then in 2016, we lost the quarter-finals and got a bronze medal in Tokyo and after this, we got a bronze medal this time, so the journey has been quite good. It was a proud moment.
Looking back at your journey, how do you compare your achievements to those of Indian hockey legend Dhanraj Pillay, considering your numerous accolades and contributions to the sport?
I would say that even now I cannot be equal to him, because he is a legend. Everyone knows the hockey he played in his time. See, the hockey was very different and the hockey of today is quite different. At that time there were many big players and there were other players too, right, so I can’t compete with him at all. If you talk about the fact that we both have four Olympics appearances, well, I have maintained my fitness, I focused on my fitness level. But I will not say that you should compare me with him because he is still our Anna. He is a very senior player and the respect he has is not found anywhere else in India. The respect he has in the whole world is very high.
The legacy of Dhanraj Pillay got you inspired. Now in what way your younger generation is getting inspired by the legacy you have carved out now?
I personally have never thought about that thing to be honest. Yes it means so much [to have played this long], but for me it is about giving my best as much as I can and the more I can motivate the coming generation for hockey, the better it is for me because this is what I want; if 10 or 15 children come into hockey after seeing me. I would love it. if I become a role model for them and if they want to play hockey after seeing me and win medals, that would be a big thing for me.
As for legacy, I never thought about this thing that I am a legend or something. I just think that the more medals I can win for my country, the better it is for me.
You’ve played a pivotal role in India’s back-to-back bronze medal wins in Tokyo and Paris. Can you share what it took to replicate that success, and how the journey differed under the coaching of Graham Reid and Craig Fulton?
If I talk about Tokyo Olympics, it becomes a little more special for us because at that time we were a in Bangalore due to the pandemic. We were in the campus, so we got a very good opportunity to prepare because the Olympics got postponed and at that time everyone was thinking that yes, we still have one more year and we have to work harder so that when we go to Tokyo Olympics, there should not be any area on the field where we have not worked on.
Everyone worked very hard during that period and what we did was that we got to know about each better. How much difficulty their parents had to face to bring them here and how much difficulty the players had to face to reach here. In Tokyo, everyone had this in mind that we don’t have to go to participate in Olympics. We have to go to win medals. And that mind set and belief of everyone at that time, we showed the same in this team this time too. And everyone had this belief that yes, we can win. This time we have to change the colour.
The first thing we did was that we stayed away from social media for a while, we focussed on our games and the second thing was that we had to go match after match with same intensity. We approached every match accordingly; We have to go and win every match, that was the mindset and the third was, whatever happens, we have to give our best in every match.
These were the three things that we continued in both the Olympics and we got to see the result. In the last Olympics, we lost the semi-final. There was a big gap then, but this time we lost the semi-final by a very close margin. We played very well. The whole team played very well against Germany. We lost 3-2.
What changed after Craig Fulton’s arrival?
Craig always says that We can train our body [from head down] to 90%. How do we strengthen the 10% [on the head] is the main thing. How do we approach the big matches; when we are going to play Australia, or when we are going to play against a good team, and if we are going to play the semi-finals; because those are very crucial matches. In the semi-finals, quarter-finals how can we perform?
He brought Paddy Upton. He was with the cricket team in 2011 and we had him with us before the Asian Games, so whatever his inputs were, he was talking with the team and we went on a special tour. Before the Olympics we were Switzerland with Mike Horn. We spent 3 days with him, so we worked on our mindsets. How do we have to approach and how strong should our mindset be when we are going to the Olympics. How to handle pressure, how to play under pressure, how to play as a team. what kind of things can come up, what difficulties can come up, what things can distract us from our mission.
Your rise from Mithapur to Olympic success is truly inspiring. What were some of the most challenging moments in your journey, and how did they shape the player and person you are today?
I come from a very poor family, my two elder brothers played hockey earlier, but due to the family conditions they had to quit hockey. In the beginning, my family did not support me much, because everyone knows that hockey is very tough, you can get injured easily. But I had a passion to play hockey. Because in our village, Pargat Singh was a very famous player. He was the captain in 1992 and 1996 Olympics. He was famous in our village and he had a legacy.
I also felt that I have to be like him. When I come back to my village, everyone should say ‘Manpreet has come, Manpreet has come. So, at that time, despite a lot of financial problems in the family I persisted. My parents, my mother and both my brothers struggled a lot. At that time, they struggled a lot to feed me and but today things have changed and many times when I am sitting with my mother, she starts crying saying that we had nothing back then, but today because of you we have a nice house, we have everything, so it feels very good. That’s happiness for me, some happiness to my family, I am happy now.
Fitness has always been a key focus for you. How has your fitness regime evolved over the years, and what specific goals have you set for maintaining your top level of performance moving forward?
Even when I am at home, I maintain my diet. You know in Punjab, when you are back, especially after a victory there’s lassi, Aloo parathas, jalebi, you just keep on eating something, or the other, but I avoid these things. When I come home, and the load is less or the training is less, I ensure to maintain my diet. Whenever I get time, I go to the gym and continue with my fitness routines.
What is your go to cheat meal or cheat drink?
Of course, after doing so much training there are days when your body still needs other things, so sometimes you eat it. When Aloo Parathas are made, sweet lassi follows. Then there are a lot of sweets.
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