look news india
New Delhi, July 12 (HS). When Harmanpreet Singh was selected by the Punjab team in the famous Hockey India League in 2015, the defender was touted as the next big name in Indian hockey. He was set to play for India in the Junior World Cup in 2016, which catapulted the careers of many of his teammates, including current Indian captain Harmanpreet Singh and flamboyant forwards Mandeep Singh, Gurjant Singh, midfielders Nilakanta Sharma, Sumit.
But a failed dope test – the result of an injection given to him by a doctor in his hometown for lower back pain – cost him two precious years of his budding career. While his teammates later went on to play for the senior India team, he had to serve a two-year ban, leaving his hockey future looking bleak.
He is on track to make his first appearance at the Olympic Games in 2024 — a quest he credits to his innate tenacity.
“It was not easy. It was one of my worst phases, with a lot of uncertainties. Players usually don't recover from such a setback. Being out of matches for two years makes a big difference in the game,” Jarmanpreet Singh, an officer in the Income Tax Department, was quoted as saying by Hockey India.
“But I was determined and knew I had to make a comeback. I don’t think I could have done that without a strong domestic structure where I could show the selectors that I still have this potential. In 2018, after the Hockey India Senior Men’s National Championship, I was one of the 50 probables in the camp. Hockey India gave me a chance to rebuild my career. I was selected for the national programme for senior men where I was given the opportunity to catch up with my teammates and make my senior India debut. They saw that potential in me and I didn’t give up on my dream of playing for India at the Olympic Games,” he added.
Now in Switzerland where the team is undergoing a mental conditioning camp, Jarmanpreet is excited and looking forward to experiencing her first-ever exposure at the prestigious quadrennial event.
He said, “The journey so far with this team has been incredible. We have gone through ups and downs as a strong unit. Now, we are focused on our goal and we are in the final stages of our preparations. I am extremely excited and looking forward to starting my campaign at the Paris Olympics.”