'Khel Ratna will spur me'

Sardar Singh is among the most respected hockey players in the country. The former India captain has recently been recommended for the prestigious Khel Ratna, country’s highest sporting honour, which he believes will spur him ahead of the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year.

The 31-year-old was his humble self as he acknowledged the feeling of pride associated with the award. “Whatever I am today it is because of hockey. I have always given my all to hockey. Whatever I could win is for the country and the fans. It was an emotional moment for me, I credit my team-mates, my friends and family for it ,” Sardar told DH.

“We are normally so busy in the camp that the award was far from my mind. I got to know from a media person, just when I was about to sleep. I sat shocked for a while.”

The experienced midfielder has endured a period of strife, both on and off the field, recently. He has dealt with allegations of sexual harassment while his form has been unsteady. “It indeed has been a tough period for me. It can be disturbing to have charges against your name. But I didn’t do anything. My focus, thanks to my family and friend has always been on hockey, I will not let these things distract me,” Sardar said.

Reflecting on his form, Sardar, under whose captaincy Indian won 2014 Asian Games gold, said: “In the last 10 years, I have faced a lot of challenges, there have been a lot of changes in the team also.  It is important to have a good group combination. To form new player combination, it takes time. My form hasn’t gone too bad also. I also know that because the day I feel I am not good, I will myself step aside. I am training hard and keeping myself fit. I have goals to achieve.”

The award Sardar, admitted, will motivate him. “I know it will spur me to train even harder. It has given me a lot of positive energy. We have a couple of important tournaments this year before moving to Commonwealth Games and Asian Games next year. We all have been preparing very hard towards that and have to ensure that we stay injury free,” he said.