Every tournament can throw up positives for a team, and for the Indian senior men’s hockey team at the 25th Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in Ipoh, there was little doubt about a youngster emerging as one of the finds of the tournament.
Fullback and drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh surely pleased all, coming up with a performance that would trigger a feeling, ‘he should be on the flight to Rio’. Talking of Rio may not be appropriate at this point in time, but Harmanpreet who hails from Jandiala Guru village on the outskirts of Amritsar in Punjab, has clearly done a lot of good in being a regular for the senior team after having attained a lot for the junior side.
Also Read: 8 things to know about Indian junior hockey star Harmanpreet Singh
Indian junior team coach Harendra Singh once said that the 20-year-old youngster, who plays for Dabang Mumbai in the Hockey India League, should not be rushed into the senior team and can be called for the long-drawn senior camps.
Harmanpreet, whose father is a farmer, was fast-tracked into the senior team just four months before the Rio Olympics, thus dropping more than a hint that the coaches and selectors are indeed looking to him as an option.
Reality is that guys like Rupinder Pal Singh and Vokkaliga Raghunath bring huge amount of experience to the side and that factor cannot be disregarded when a team is picked for an event as big as the Olympics. In fact, India have so many drag-flick options that, probably, not even top sides like Australia, Germany, Netherlands currently have at their disposal.
It’s good to remember that apart from Rupinder and Raghunath – there are two more options in Gurjinder Singh and Jasjit Singh Kullar. One may ask why Harmanpreet should be picked ahead of these guys? Well, this BPCL player brings a calming influence to the side – he is not just good at unleashing his drag-flicks.
His defending skills are decent for his age and he can be played in midfield and at times, can be moved upfront as well. Harmanpreet started off as a forward at the Surjit Hockey Academy before switching to fullback position.
No wonder, he appears comfortable on the pitch irrespective of which part of the pitch he is engaged with the opponent. The manner in which he struck his maiden international goal on his debut against Japan and later his strike against Canada coupled with overall play has impressed many.
One is not trying hard to suggest that Harmanpreet should play in the Rio Olympics but one wants do accentuate one thing – he is a big future investment who can serve the country well for many years.
