Indian hockey forward Dilpreet Singh grateful for the chances that he has got to represent the nation at the big stage

Young Indian forward Dilpreet Singh has been a revelation for the Indian Men’s hockey team. He has seen his career rise ever since he won the bronze medal in 2017 at the Sultan of Johor Cup. It was the breakthrough point for Dilpreet as he has only grown in stature ever since.

He was called up for the national team and soon became a part of the senior side representing events like the Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and also the World Cup which was held in Odisha. After featuring in some of these top events, Dilpreet has added another feather to his cap. He was a part of the Indian men’s team which clinched the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics. This was the first time in 41 years we have won a medal in hockey at the Summer Games.

Speaking of his experience in Tokyo, the 21-year-old just expressed his gratitude. He said, “We all worked so hard to achieve this feat. We never let any difficulties during the pandemic affect our morale. The Seniors played a big part in encouraging us constantly and making us feel like we can do this. I feel so fortunate to be part of this incredible group and yes, I do believe I have been lucky to have had such a great start to my international career.”

The youngster who only saw a rise in his career was bound to see a dip in form. He was dropped from the senior team after the FIH Men’s World Cup where the team was knocked out in the quarter finals. Dilpreet’s career changed from that point and he is happy that Hockey India supported him during his worst phase.

“Looking back, surely that was not an easy period for me. Maybe I could not handle the success of getting to play in such major tournaments so early in my career. I was hardly 18 or 19 years old then. But I am really grateful to Hockey India and the support staff who gave me all the support I needed back then and helped me mature as a player.”

“The Junior Team Coaches guided me all through 2019 and I also worked closely with the psychologist in SAI, Bengaluru at that time. After Chief Coach Graham Reid took over, he watched me during training and spoke to me personally and that motivated me a lot. After I got a chance to come back to the Senior Group, there has been no looking back,” expressed Dilpreet Singh.

Lastly the striker from Punjab feels that India’s story in hockey has just started and believes that this team can scale impossible heights in future. “I truly believe this is a new beginning. We all want to achieve more, and we want people to give us more love and continue to support us. And for this to happen, we know we must consistently perform well at major tournaments. We are mentally prepared for it.”