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Former India captain Sardar Singh has posted a picture of himself wearing a police uniform on his Instagram handle. The 34-year-old from Haryana retired from international hockey in 2018 and has since been working with Haryana Police as a Deputy Superintendent.
Sardar Singh completed his police training in the month of June, following which he joined the service. The former player, who played as a center half, has been awarded with a Padmi Shri - the fourth highest civilian honor in India.
Sardar Singh - A leader on the pitch
Sardar Singh made 312 appearances for the Indian team. He was handed over the captaincy in 2008, just before the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. This made him the youngest Indian player ever to lead the side. Under his leadership, the Indian team won a bronze medal at the 2010 Asian Games and a gold at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. He also led the Indian team to glory in the Commonwealth Games, where India secured two silver medals in the 2010 and 2014 editions.
Apart from being an exceptional leader, his individual abilities also stood out. Sardar won the player-of-the-tournament award on several occasions, apart from being named in the FIH-All Star team during consecutive years in 2010 and 2011. He was also named the FIH 2012 Player of the Year. He also played for teams like Chandigarh Dynamos and Punjab Warriors in the Premier Hockey League and Hockey India League.
Sardar Singh is not the first captain to join the police force after calling curtains on his playing career. Former India captain Rajpal Singh also joined Punjab Police after he retired from the game.
