Hardik Singh returns to Mohali turf for India’s Asian Champions Trophy semifinal
Hardik Singh returned to the Olympian Balbir Singh International Hockey Stadium in Mohali on Wednesday night to take the field for India’s Asian Champions Trophy semifinal against Korea. The vice-captain’s appearance was framed as a homecoming after more than a decade away from the venue where his hockey journey began.
At 28, Hardik is described in the report as one of the leading midfielders in world hockey and is the vice-captain of the Indian men’s team. He recalled being a ball boy during the Hockey India League in 2013-14 and said, “I was one of the ball boys during the HIL in 2013-14 and when I went back to the hostel, I used to record voice notes for myself that one day, I will be back there as an international payer. I think it’s just the power of manifestation and belief,” an emotional Hardik said after the game.
The return of international hockey to Punjab has been significant for several players, particularly Hardik and Sukhjeet Singh, who have trained at the two host venues, Mohali and Jalandhar. The article calls Hardik the posterboy for traditional Indian hockey attributes — artistry, control and exceptional skills rather than raw power.
Hardik reflected on the personal meaning of representing India in the place where he started, saying, “It’s taken me 13 years to return home wearing the national jersey and it’s a feeling that I cannot explain. I know I am an important part of the Indian team now and to be back where I first started in this game, I don’t have words. The credit goes to my then coach Mohan sir here and the love and belief of my mates and I am not representing only myself but the whole academy, everyone who at some time struggled for facilities and infrastructure,” he added. Several friends from his academy days were reported to be in the stands.
Hardik’s early pathway is outlined in the account: he began at the Mohali academy in 2011, spent four years there before attracting national attention, and in 2016 made the Junior India team while also being among the stand-bys for the Junior World Cup. He later moved to the Surjeet Hockey Academy in Jalandhar and said, “When I first came here, I saw many senior athletes for the first time training from close quarters. Players like Manpreet Singh would be there in-between national camps and we used to get excited, seeing them and getting a chance to train and play with them. This is where I first learnt what international hockey was all about.”
The piece describes the scarcity of facilities during his formative years, with Hardik stating, “This stadium wasn’t even built then. We used to train wherever we could manage -- basketball courts, different grounds. We used to borrow playing time at the Punjab University grounds, the Sector 42 stadium, the girls academy in Sector 18. It was only in my last year here that I began coming to the stadium for training and spent one year. The struggle was so much more during those days because the excitement of getting on the turf was at a different level. We had limited time and that made it all the more precious,” he admitted.
Hardik also spoke about the uneven trajectory of his career, acknowledging periods away from contention between 2017-18 and crediting family advice for his persistence. “The long journey has had a lot of ups and downs since I started. There are the two Olympic medals, even though the second bronze should have been a gold, the Asian Games triumphs but also the disappointments of the World Cups. It’s mixed emotions on the field but then there is also the person I have grown up to be. I have developed as a human being and honestly, I never thought I would be this person or hockey player that I am today. I can see all the hostel boys up there and I imagine I was in the same situation 12-13 years back. I can exactly understand what they are feeling and their emotions, which is why I try to interact as much as possible with the younger hockey boys now because I know they will be inspired,” he mused.
On Thursday, as he played his 200th international match, it was a hat tip from the double Olympic medallist to the fantastical dreams of an 11-year-old that came true and all the kids who manifest success.