Indian hockey forward Mandeep Singh. (Image: AFP)
New DelhiMandeep Singh, a forward for the Indian men's hockey team, will play in his second Olympic Games in Paris later this month. The Jalandhar native has been an integral part of India's attack since rising through the ranks at the 2016 Junior World Cup.
The 29-year-old prolific goal scorer mesmerizes defenders with his incredible speed and has scored 116 goals in 244 appearances for the Indian men's national team. Mandeep's contribution to the Indian national team is often overlooked as the likes of captain Harmanpreet Singh and former captain Manpreet Singh hog the limelight.
In Hockey India's latest podcast series, Hockey Te Charcha: Familia, Mandeep Singh's sister Bhupinderjeet Kaur opened up about the frenetic days of little Mandeep. She spoke about how it was unusual for her brother to miss games during holidays.
“He was so passionate about hockey that he would come home from school, skip meals and head straight to practice. As Mandeep grew older, his passion only deepened. Even now, when I talk to him during breaks, he tells me that he has fun at home but misses camp after 15 days,” Bhupinderjeet recalls.
Mandeep Singh's Paris dream is to upgrade his medal colour
Mandeep scored the only Olympic goal in the semi-final against Belgium, but India's gold medal hopes were ended when eventual gold medallists Belgium won the final 5–2. India eventually went on to beat Germany 5–4 to win the bronze medal.
The Indian forward has been an integral part of the team's massive comeback after India missed out on qualifying for the Beijing Olympics and finished last in the upcoming London Games. Mandeep has been part of several successful campaigns for India, including a gold medal at the Junior World Cup 2016, Asia Cup 2017, Asian Champions Trophy 2018 and 2023, Asian Games 2023, a silver medal at Commonwealth Games 2022 and a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.
Mandeep had earlier expressed his desire to lift the medal colours in Paris, but that would make his path to the podium all but impossible. India will face countries like Argentina, Australia, Belgium, New Zealand and Ireland in Pool B, dubbed the 'group of death'.
