HIL Auction: Harmanpreet Singh signed by Soorma Hockey Club for big money

Harmanpreet Singh will join Gurjant and Vivek Sagar Prasad at the club.

Indian men’s hockey team captain Harmanpreet Singh will be playing for his home state side Soorma Hockey Club in the Hockey India League 2024. The ace drag-flicker has been signed by the JWS-owned franchise for a record-breaking amount of Rs 78 lakh, making him the most expensive player in the auction. The Indian international had previously represented Dabang Mumbai in the Hockey India League.

Also Read: Hockey India League Player Auction Day 1 Live

As anticipated, the Indian drag-flicker has so far been the highest-valued player at the Hockey India League player auction for the 2024-25 season. The Indian defender is the highest scoring field hockey player in the history of the Indian men’s hockey team. Harmanpreet has been the top scorer in international hockey for three consecutive years now.

Hockey's Sarpanch and captain fantastic Harmanpreet Singh becomes the most expensive player so far at the #HockeyIndiaLeague auction. 😎🔥🔥He goes to Soorma Hockey Club for a whopping ₹78 lakhs!LIVE BLOG 👉 https://t.co/zLdrQAbaAt pic.twitter.com/HHTGG7q4mk

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) October 13, 2024

He also ended Paris Olympics 2024 as the top scorer, leading India to a bronze medal—their second consecutive bronze at the Olympics.

Harmanpreet has also finished the previous three seasons of the FIH Pro League among the top three goalscorers. He topped the goalscoring charts in the 2021-22 and the 2022-23 seasons. The Indian sarpanch has so far scored 33 goals in 2024. Australia has been his favourite team to play against as he has scored eight goals against them this year.

Hailing from the highly revered Surjit Singh Hockey Academy of Punjab, the Indian ‘Sarpanch Sahab’, as he is fondly referred to by his fans, has an avid-interest in music. He wanted to be a forward growing up but took up the defensive duties of the team after seeing the great potential he had. 

Harmanpreet Singh is one of the only four players ever to have won the FIH Men’s Player of the Year award in consecutive years. The others are the legendary Jamie Dwyer from Australia, Arthur van Doren from Belgium and Teun De Nooijer from the Netherlands. Harmanpreet Singh won the awards for the 2020-21 and the 2021-22 seasons.

Soorma Hockey Club had to fight off the interest from the likes of Delhi SG Pipers, Hyderabad Toofans, Rarh Bengal Tigers and Tamil Nadu Dragons to sign the Indian international. Dragons had opened the bidding for the Indian captain before Bengal Tigers and Team Gonasika got involved. Finally, after outbidding the Delhi SG Pipers and Hyderabad Toofans, Harmanpreet Singh was signed for Rs 78 lakhs.

Apart from the Indian captain, Soorma Hockey Club has also successfully signed Gurjant Singh and the playmaking midfielder Vivek Sagar Prasad. The three Indian nationals will form the core of the Punjab-based franchise and have cost them a combined total of Rs 1.37 Cr. 

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