Sardar eyes Azlan Shah as rebirth

Refutes rumours that Malaysia trip would be his farewell

The last four months have been testing for Sardar Singh, one of the country's finest creative players. From being pushed back to a free-moving defender role in the Asia Cup to subsequently being ignored for the FIH World League Final besides Hockey India pinning their hope on youngsters, the 31-year-old's career appeared to be all but over.

A flicker of hope arrived on Tuesday when HI, giving credence to mounting speculations over the last few weeks, recalled the veteran for the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. But the new lease of life seemingly comes with a rider. If rumours are to be believed, Sardar's trip to Ipoh, Malaysia is a parting gift from the federation to the former skipper whose work ethics still remain uncompromising but pace has come down owing to advancing years.

The soft-spoken Sardar, speaking following an intense practice session, rubbished all rumours, saying he's here to stay and will continue to challenge the youngsters for a place in the side.

"I was very disappointed when I wasn't picked for the World League Final as it is a big tournament and you get to play against big opponents," said Sardar, who first led India a decade ago at the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. "I was preparing well but whatever the decision of the coaches and the federation, I was okay with it. Those of us who were here at the camp were following the schedule.

"You've seen that players are being rotated for some time now. The idea behind that is that there are important tournaments coming up -- Asian Games and the World Cup -- and so everyone in the core group should get a chance. We can then see who performs to what level."

While he was okay with the rotational policy, Sardar felt it needs to be stopped right now. "At the Asia Cup, I played as a free defender after a long time. When I came back to the camp afterwards, (coach) Sjoerd (Marjine) and I had a chat. He told me, 'I saw you at the tournament and now we're going to try a few new players.' After that, now that they are rotating players, it's good for everyone.

"In my view, this Azlan Shah should be the last tournament this year where we rotate and I think the federation has the same view. After this we can't try too many players. Those who are performing well will be part of the team henceforth."

Sardar said he never lost heart when he was dropped and is eyeing a shot at this December's World Cup at home. "Look, you have to do what is in your hands, which is to train well. You should take it (dropped) in a positive way. When I started, my dream was to be like Teun de Nooijer and Jamie Dwyer. I used to watch them on TV. I was selected alongside them in the All-Star teams of 2010 and 2011.  

"You have been adjudged the best player at a major tournament. You have played against the best. You have won a lot of awards. After all this, you have to keep yourself as fit as possible and play as well as you can. The coach decides after that.

"Hockey has given me a lot and I've been wearing the national colours for 10 years. My attempt will be to keep myself fit as long as possible and play good hockey for my country. That's it."