Hardik Singh, the perfect team-man, comes of age

Bengaluru: I must have watched that goal like a 100 times already,” laughs Hardik Singh when you remind him of the goal he scored for India against Korea in their first Super 4s match on Wednesday. 

After receiving the ball from Sukhjeet Singh, the 26-year-old midfielder’s solo run from just inside the centre line past the Korean defence, found the back of the net to give the hosts their opening goal in an engrossing 2-2 draw. Out of the 37 goals the Indians scored in seven matches, this field goal from Hardik is for sure among the top-3 best ones. 

“That was a brilliant goal, no? I want to compliment myself (laughs). No, actually, the forwards cleared the area so my execution could be smooth after Sukhjeet had made some good tackles to pass the ball to me. It was a team goal. Had we won the match it would have felt more special,” the vice-captain tells DH. 

Team first, individual next is the philosophy imbibed deep in Indian men’s squad and Hardik is seen as someone who readily puts the rest ahead of himself. At the recently-concluded Asia Cup too, the midfielder took charge to pull the team out of tricky situations multiple times while the sharp thinker’s variation on the field had opponents baffled.  

Be it his textbook-style goal against Korea or combining with his midfield mates to strengthen India’s attacking prowess or providing extra aid to the defensive set-up, Hardik was the mover and shaker for the Indian side. And when he joined forces with senior pro Manpreet, the duo were a treat to watch on the field. 

“If he (Manpreet Singh) has the momentum and is playing well, I tell him to move into the attacking side and I will take care of the centre. Same thing with me, when I go ahead he holds the centre fort. We have great coordination and understanding between us,” points Hardik who is often seen spurring the crowd to get louder, especially before taking stance to inject during penalty corners.  

The two-time Olympic bronze medal winners’ nonchalant and fun personality is as striking as his hockey skills. Both of which Hardik had to work hard on to get comfortable with. And he credits mental conditioning coach Paddy Upton for helping him come of age. 

“Back in 2023, after the World Cup, I was not in a good place mentally. I was really struggling a lot. That’s when Paddy started working with the team. I really wanted to make use of this opportunity of someone like Paddy being there for us. After working with him, I have become a better player and a human being for sure. Because it’s not always about how you are on the field, but also about how you deal with life. Right?” 

With the narrative arching from an anxious start to dominant play for India, Hardik was one of the sturdiest of performers throughout the 10-day event.   

“For a few matches our final execution wasn’t happening well. The passes to the forwards weren’t made as well as we would have liked. But we know we are better than the others who are here.

“I’m really happy to do the dirty work for the team, it doesn’t really matter for me. The team doing well is the most important,” says Hardik with a smile.