Know your Hockey Team: Who are the 19 players who will represent India at Paris Olympics 2024

Indian Men’s Hockey team confident of performing well at Paris Olympics 2024.

The Indian men’s hockey team will be competing in the Olympics for the 22nd time this year. With an illustrious past, the team will be led by Harmanpreet Singh this time.

Skipper Singh will be accompanied by senior players such as Manpreet Singh, PR Sreejesh and Mandeep Singh. Harmanpreet has asked the fans to continue keeping their faith in the Indian men’s hockey team while they compete at the Paris Olympics 2024.

Three years back, the squad had won a historic bronze medal at the games ending a 41-year wait for a medal in the sport. The target will be bigger this time as the players will aim for a gold or silver medal finish.

It has been 52 years since the Indian men’s hockey team have won consecutive medals at the Olympics. The streak hopefully will be ended this time at the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Here are the 19 players who will represent Indian men’s hockey team at Paris Olympics

PR Sreejesh

• Age: 36
• Position: Goalkeeper 
• Caps: 328

A veteran of three Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games and World Cups, PR Sreejesh will be playing his fourth and final Olympic Games, joining legends like Dhanraj Pillay who have represented the Indian team four times at the Olympic Games.

Having made his debut at the 2010 World Cup, Sreejesh has been part of various memorable wins for India, which include Bronze medal in Jakarta-Palembang, joint winning team of the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018, Gold medal winning team of 2019 FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar and Silver medal winning team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The 36-year-old goalie was one of the main architects of India’s historic bronze medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. He was instrumental in India’s third-place finish at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22.

Also Read: Top 10 Indians with most appearances in Olympics

Sreejesh was awarded the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021 and is only the second sportsperson from India to win the award of World Games Athlete of the Year 2021. He has also won back-to-back FIH

Goalkeeper of the Year awards in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Last year, he stood tall in India’s Gold medal-winning campaign at the Asian Games that sealed the team’s berth for Paris 2024.

“It is a surreal feeling that I am going to play my fourth Olympic Games. When I started, I never thought I would come this far. I patiently waited for my turn at the goalpost and just wanted to give my 100 per cent.

Now that I am heading for one of the greatest moments of my career, I am as excited about it as it was my debut. I am going to enjoy every bit of it and hopefully come back with a medal of a different colour from last time.”

Jarmanpreet Singh

• Age: 27
• Position: Defender
• Caps: 106

The Amritsar-born player has been part of the Indian men’s hockey team since 2018. He made his debut for the national team at the 2018 Champions Trophy, where India clinched silver medal. The defender then went on to win Asian Champions Trophy Gold in 2018, which was only the second tournament of his career.

Jarmanpreet has been a regular feature since Asian Champions Trophy 2021, where India won bronze. He was part of India’s third-place finish at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22 as well as the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games Silver medal-winning team.

Jarmanpreet also featured in the FIH Hockey Pro League 202/23, FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela and won medals at the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 and Asian Games Hangzhou 2022. This will be his first appearance at the prestigious Olympic Games. 

“I am proud and excited about getting a chance to represent my country at the prestigious Olympic Games. We have put in hard yards at the camp and are looking forward to giving our everything to bring back the glory.”

Amit Rohidas

• Age: 31
• Position: Defender
• Caps: 184

Amit is one of the best rushers in the world at present. He made his international debut at the Sultan Azlan 2013 in Malaysia. He was also part of the 2013 Men’s Asia Cup squad which won the Silver medal.

The graduate from Panposh Sports Hostel, Rourkela, represented India at the FIH Junior Men’s Hockey World Cup held in New Delhi. He also featured at the 2014 Hockey Men’s World League Final, but couldn’t cement his place in the team.

However, his impressive performance in the Hockey India League in 2017 helped him earn a place in the national side and he never looked back as he went on to become a key member of the Indian defence.

He contributed to various important wins such as the Gold medal at the Hero Asia Cup 2017, the Bronze medal at the Odisha Hockey World League Final in Bhubaneswar 2017 and the Silver medal at the FIH Men’s Champions Trophy in 2018.

He was also a part of the Gold medal-winning team at the FIH Men’s Series Finals and the 2020 Olympic Qualifiers. The 31-year-old defender was instrumental in India’s historic Bronze medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Silver medal win at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Amit also played a crucial role in India’s Gold medal win at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou as well as the 2023 Hero Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai where India emerged victorious.

“It is an honour to be representing the country once again at the Olympics. We are well prepared and know what to expect with every team vying for Gold. We’re looking forward to it and will play our best hockey to try and go all the way.”

Harmanpreet Singh

• Age: 28
• Position: Defender
• Caps:  219

Considered as one of the best drag-flickers in the world, Harmanpreet Singh was India’s top goalscorer with 12 goals at the recently concluded FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 season. He was also the highest goalscorer in the previous edition. Harmanpreet has won several trophies for both junior and senior teams.

This will be Harmanpreet’s third appearance in the Olympics. Under his leadership, the Indian men’s hockey team won the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games, which also helped India secure a direct qualification for the Paris 2024 Olympics.

With the junior team, he won the gold medal at the 2016 Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup. With the senior team, he won gold medal at the 2017 Hero Asia Cup, Bronze medal at the Men’s Hockey World League Final in Bhubaneswar 2017 and silver medal at the FIH Men’s Champions Trophy 2018.

He was instrumental in India’s historic campaign at Tokyo 2020, scoring 6 goals in 8 matches. He has also been awarded the Arjuna Award in 2021. The ace drag-flicker has won the FIH Player of the Year awards for two consecutive times- 2020/21 and 2021/22. 

“I am looking forward to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games as it will be my third appearance in the Olympics. I understand what is at stake here and I will give my best for the country. I hope to make the fans proud.

The team has a strong mix of dynamic and energetic players and I am sure that we will execute our plans to perfection.”

Sumit 

• Age: 27
• Position: Defender
• Caps: 134

Sumit was an integral member of the Indian team’s historic bronze medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. This will be his second Olympics campaign. The 2016 Junior World Cup winner made his senior team debut at the 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah tournament.

He was called as a replacement for injured SK Uthappa during Hockey World League Semi-finals in 2017, where the team clinched Bronze and since then has become a mainstay in India’s lineup. He was part of the Gold medal-winning team at the 2017 Asia Cup as well as the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy.

He has also represented India at the FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar 2019 where India clinched Gold and featured in the two-legged 2020 Tokyo Olympic Qualifier tie against Russia in November 2019.

The 27-year-old was out of action at the start of the 2022/23 season but made a remarkable comeback in the Rourkela leg of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2022/23 where the team remained undefeated against Australia and World Champions Germany and went the Europe tour for the final set of matches.

Sumit also featured in India’s wins at the Asian Games in China and Asian Champions Trophy 2023 in Chennai. 

“Olympics is the pinnacle of every sportsperson’s career to be able to represent your country for the second country is an incredible honour. We won Bronze last time around, but this time it’s time to change the colour of the medal.” 

Sanjay

• Age: 23
• Position: Defender
• Caps: 35

Fairly new to the senior men’s team, Sanjay has risen through the junior team ranks. He is one of the most promising talents to emerge from the 2021 Junior Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar, scoring eight goals in the tournament.

He went on to help India win the inaugural FIH Hockey5s in June 2022 but had to wait almost a year to feature in the regular format. The 23-year-old drag-flicker made his senior team debut in the FIH Pro League 2022/23 matches in Europe and has since become a regular feature.

The player from Dabra village near Hisar in Haryana was part of the title-winning squad at the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 and the gold medal-winning squad at the Asian Games. This will be Sanjay’s maiden Olympic Games campaign. 

“It feels like a dream come true for me to make it to the squad for this prestigious Olympic Games. It’s arguably the biggest opportunity in my life and I will give my best to make it count.”

Raj Kumar Pal

• Age: 26 
• Position: Midfielder
• Caps: 54

The graduate of SAI Sports Hostel, Lucknow, Raj Kumar Pal made his India debut against Belgium during FIH Hockey Pro League 2020/21 matches in Bhubaneswar.

He then featured in the Asian Champions Trophy 2021 where India clinched Bronze and played a key role at the 2022 Asia Cup, scoring the solitary goal against Japan to clinch the Bronze medal. He replaced injured Hardik in the last three matches of the FIH Hockey World Cup held in Odisha earlier this year.

He featured in the majority of the FIH Pro League 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns. This will be Raj Kumar’s first Olympic Games appearance.

“It’s a surreal feeling to participate at a prestigious stage like the Olympic Games. I’m looking forward to giving my best and making my country proud.”

Also Read: Raj Kumar Pal hopes to repay family’s sacrifices with hockey gold in Paris Olympics

Shamsher Singh

• Age: 26
• Caps: 95
• Position: Midfielder

A graduate of Surjit Singh Hockey Academy, Shamsher started his career with the Indian Junior team during the 4 Nations invitational tournament held in Valencia, Spain in 2016. He went on to make his senior team debut at the 2019 Men’s Ready Steady Tokyo Hockey Tournament.

He was an integral part of India’s historic Bronze medal win at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, where he featured in all eight matches of the campaign.

Since then, Shamsher has become a regular feature having played a vital role in India’s Bronze medal win at the Asian Champions Trophy 2021, third-place finish at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021-22 and Silver Medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

Shamsher also played an important role in India’s Gold medal win at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou as well as the 2023 Hero Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai where India emerged victorious.

“I am truly blessed to be able to represent my nation once again at the Olympics. We are confident in our game and have been doing well of late. We will play our best hockey to bring back home the Gold medal.”

Manpreet Singh

• Age: 32
• Caps: 370Position: Midfielder 

With over 350 International Caps, Manpreet is the cusp of making history as he gears up to play his fourth Olympic Games.

Manpreet made his international debut in 2011 at the age of 19. He led the junior team in 2013 during the Men’s Hockey Junior World Cup and Sultan of Johar Cup, where he won his first Gold medal for the country.

Manpreet’s first major tournament as a member of the Senior set-up was the 2012 London Olympics and since then he has represented India at all the international tournaments, including World Cups (2014, 2018 and 2023), Commonwealth Games (2014, 2018 and 2022) and Olympics (2016 and 2020).

He was also part of the Indian squad that won the Asian Games Gold in 2014 and went on to Captain the side at the 2018 Asian Games where India clinched Bronze.

Under his Captaincy, India won historic bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Silver at Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, Gold at the Hero Asia Cup 2017, Bronze at the Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017, Silver at the 2018 Champions Trophy, Gold medals at the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy as well as the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai.

Also Read: Five talking points from India’s men’s hockey team squad for Paris Olympics

He was part of the Asian Games Gold Medal winning squad, a second to his name. The 2018 and 2021 Arjuna Awardee was bestowed with the Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021 for his role in ending India’s 41-year wait for an Olympic medal.

“This will be my fourth appearance at the prestigious Olympic Games and it is indeed a very special moment for me. I am honoured to be part of the squad. When we returned from Tokyo with the bronze medal around our neck, we believed we could change the colour of the medal.

This is our chance, and we will give it our best to make this dream come true.”

Hardik Singh

• Age: 25
• Caps: 134
• Position: Midfielder   

At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, Hardik gained prominence by scoring two crucial goals, contributing significantly to India’s historic bronze medal win.

Trained by his uncle and former India drag-flicker Jugraj Singh, Hardik made his Senior Team debut at the 2018 Men’s Hero Asian Champions Trophy, where India secured the gold medal. He participated in the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup Bhubaneswar 2018, establishing himself as a key midfielder.

Hardik was instrumental in India’s gold medal triumph at the 2019 FIH Men’s Series Finals in Bhubaneswar and the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Qualifiers.

His contributions continued with a bronze medal at the 2021 Asian Champions Trophy, a silver medal at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, and a third-place finish in the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22.

Despite being sidelined midway through the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 due to an injury, he made a strong comeback, playing a pivotal role in India’s gold medal victories at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023 and the Hangzhou Asian Games 2022.

Additionally, the 25-year-old was honoured with the Hockey India Balbir Singh Sr. Award for Player of the Year in both 2022 and 2023 at the Hockey India Annual Awards in New Delhi.

“I am thrilled and honoured to represent the Indian team in the Olympics for the second time. I am committed to giving my best performance and helping our team secure a medal at this prestigious event.”

Vivek Sagar Prasad 

• Age: 24
• Caps: 143
• Position: Midfielder 

The dynamic midfielder rose through the ranks of junior set-up, where he led the team to memorable wins such as Bronze medal at the 2017 Sultan of Johor Cup, Gold medal at Asian YOG Qualifier and Silver at Youth Olympic Games in 2018.

He was awarded Player of the Tournament at the Asian YOG Qualifier and was also the leading goal scorer in the tournament. He also captained the team at the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s Junior World Cup Bhubaneswar 2021, where India finished fourth. Vivek is the second-youngest player ever to debut for India at the age of 17.

He earned his maiden senior cap at the 4 Nations Invitational Tournament held in New Zealand in 2018 and since then he has featured in almost all the major events.

The player from Madhya Pradesh was a part of the Silver medal-winning senior team at the FIH Men’s Champions Trophy in Breda, and the Bronze medal-winning team at the 2018 Asian Games.

He was named the best youngest player at the tournament at 2019 FIH Series Finals in Bhubaneswar, where India clinched Gold. In the same year, he also won the 2019 FIH Men’s Rising Star of the Year award.

He featured in all eight matches of India’s historic campaign at Tokyo Olympics 2020 and played a crucial role for India at the Commonwealth Games 2022, Asian Champions Trophy 2023 and Asian Games 2022. 

“We had a memorable outing last time at the Olympics, the aim for Paris 2024 will be to change the colour of the medal. We are well prepared for the campaign and looking forward to the challenge.” 

Also Read: Cristiano Ronaldo fan Abhishek aims high for Indian hockey team in Paris Olympics 2024

Abhishek

• Age: 24
• Position: Forward 
• Caps: 74

Abhishek, who featured in two editions of the Sultan of Johar Cup (2017 and 2018), couldn’t cement his place in the national camp then, but after his performance for Punjab National Bank at the Hockey India Senior Men Inter-Departmental National Championship in December 2021, he got his senior team call-up.

He made his senior team debut in the 2021/22 FIH Pro League and has since made himself a mainstay. The 24-year-old forward was a crucial part of India’s silver medal-winning team at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

He then featured in all six matches for India at the FIH Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar-Rourkela and played 15 of 16 FIH Pro League 2022/23 season matches.

Abhishek played all seven games for India during their victorious campaign at the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou and played 13 out of 16 games for India in the 2023/24 FIH Pro League.

“There’s no greater feeling than to be playing for your country at the Olympics. I can’t wait to get on the field and give it my all. We have our plans and will fight till the very end to win the Gold medal for our country.”

Sukhjeet Singh

• Age: 27 
• Position: Forward 
• Caps: 70 

Sukhjeet took to hockey at the tender age of six after getting inspired by his father Ajit Singh, a former hockey player for Punjab Police. He plied his trade for Sindh Bank, Punjab Police and Indian Oil before securing a permanent placement in Punjab National Bank.

Sukhjeet earned his maiden call-up for the senior National camp in 2018, but couldn’t cement his place after sustaining a back injury during a routine recovery process and eventually missed out on the 33-member core group.

He made a comeback to the national set-up in 2021 on the back of remarkable performance in the National tournaments and made his senior team debut at the FIH Hockey Pro League in 2021/22.

The 27-year-old forward has then featured in all the major tournaments, including the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 Bhubaneswar – Rourkela, Asian Champions Trophy 2023 and the Asian Games. 

“It’s a matter of great pride for me to represent India at the Olympic Games. I would like to thank my coach for trusting me and giving me this golden opportunity. I will give my best for the team, and hopefully, we come back with a medal.”

Lalit Kumar Upadhyay

• Age: 30
• Position: Forward
• Caps: 168

Lalit made his senior team debut at the 2014 Hockey World Cup and has since become a key figure in India’s forward line.

He has contributed to several memorable victories, including the Gold medal at the Men’s Asian Champions Trophy 2018, Bronze at the Asian Games 2018, Bronze at Tokyo Games 2020, Commonwealth Games Silver in 2022, and Gold at the Asian Games 2022.

The 30-year-old has represented India at as many as three World Cups and this will be Lalit’s second appearance at the Olympic Games.

“We are prepared for the challenge. There have been a lot of expectations from us, having won Bronze medal in the previous Olympics, but we will take it as inspiration to give our best and hopefully change the colour of the medal.”

Mandeep Singh 

• Age: 29
• Position: Forward 
• Caps: 244

Mandeep Singh made his international debut in 2013 at the Hockey World League Round 2. He was part of the Indian Team’s Junior World Cup victory in 2016. Mandeep featured in India’s Silver medal win at the 36th FIH Champions Trophy.

He was part of the team that won the 2017 Hero Men’s Asia Cup, the Bronze medal at Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final Bhubaneswar 2017, Silver at the FIH Men’s Champions Trophy 2018 and also featured at the Commonwealth Games 2018.

Mandeep then helped India bag a Bronze medal at the 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang and was also part of the Indian Team that lifted the Hero Asian Champions Trophy jointly with Pakistan in the same year. He was instrumental in the Indian team’s attack that won the historic Bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

His dynamic attacking displays helped India secure the 2022 Silver medal at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, the title at the Asian Champions Trophy 2023 and the Gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. 

“We are aiming for nothing less than a podium finish in Paris. It is going to be a tough challenge but I have full confidence in myself and the team. We will give our absolute best and make our country proud.”

Gurjant Singh 

• Age: 29
• Caps: 109
• Position: Forward 

The Chandigarh Hockey Academy graduate, Gurjant played a key role in India’s Junior World Cup in 2016. He went on to make his senior team debut against Belgium in 2017 and since then he has regularly featured for India.

He was part of the team that won the Gold medal at the 2017 Men’s Hockey Asia Cup and the 2018 Asian Champions Trophy. He was an important cog of India’s attack at the Tokyo Olympics where he scored 3 goals in 7 matches to help the team clinch the Bronze medal.

His contributions at the Olympics for India also saw him being awarded the Arjuna Award in 2021. Gurjant then played a crucial role in India’s third place finish in the FIH Pro League 2022/23 and Silver medal win at the Commonwealth Games 2022.

He recently featured in Four Nations Invitational Tournament in Spain. Last year, he played his first Asian Games and ended up on the podium with a Gold Medal. While lady luck favours him, he is one of the unsung heroes of the Indian side who goes on with his assignment with poise and pride.

“Playing my second Olympic Games is a special moment for me and my family who have stood by me through thick and thin. I am grateful for this opportunity and needless to say, I have worked extremely hard for this too.

We look forward to making our efforts materialise into a podium finish and we are confident of a good show.”

Alternate Athletes

Nilakanta Sharma

• Age: 29 
• Position: Midfielder 
• Caps: 121 

Nilakanta Sharma, hailing from Imphal, began representing India on the international stage through the junior set-up. He quickly made a name for himself by winning the gold medal at the 2015 Junior Asia Cup and the 2016 Junior World Cup.

His talent and hard work earned him a debut for the senior national team against Belgium in 2017. Since then, Nilakanta has been an essential part of the Indian midfield. He played a crucial role in India’s victory at the Asian Champions Trophy in 2018 and was part of the squad for the World Cup the same year. 

Nilakanta’s contributions were instrumental in India’s historic bronze medal campaign at the Tokyo Olympics. Following this, he was key in India’s third-place finish at the FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22 and the silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

In 2023, Nilakanta continued to shine as a part of the Indian contingent that clinched the gold medal at the Asian Champions Trophy before going on to win the gold medal at the Asian Games in China. 

Jugraj Singh 

• Age: 27
• Position: Defender
• Caps: 56

Jugraj Singh made his debut for India in the 2021/22 FIH Men’s Hockey Pro League matches in South Africa, where he scored a total of 5 goals in the season. His impressive performance in his debut year earned him a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games. 

Jugraj’s journey to the national team began with his outstanding performance at the 1st Hockey India Senior Men Interdepartmental National Championship in 2021, which led to his first call-up for the Indian national camp. 

In the 2022-23 FIH Hockey Pro League (M), Jugraj played sixteen matches, showcasing his skills and dedication.

Although the defender the FIH Odisha Hockey Men’s World Cup 2023 in Bhubaneswar – Rourkela, he continued to excel by playing for India at the Asian Champions Trophy in Chennai and contributing to the triumphant Gold medal win at the Asian Games in China in 2023.

Notably, he was also part of the gold medal winning Indian contingent at the Men’s Hockey5s Asia Cup in Oman 

Krishan B Pathak

• Age: 27
• Position: Goalkeeper
• Caps: 125

The 2016 Junior World Cup winning star, Krishan Bahadur Pathak made his senior national team debut at the 4 Nations Invitational Tournament 2018 in New Zealand. His first victory with the senior team came in his debut year when India clinched Silver medal at the 2018 FIH Men’s Champions Trophy.

He was a part of the 18th Asian Games Jakarta-Palembang Bronze medal-winning team and lifted the Asian Champions Trophy Muscat 2018 as joint winners with Pakistan. He was also a part of the team that won the Gold medal at the FIH Series Finals 2019 in Bhubaneswar.

He played a crucial role for the team in the Bronze medal win at Asian Champions trophy in 2021 held in Dhaka, third-place finish at FIH Hockey Pro League 2021/22 and the Silver medal feat at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

He also featured in the 2018 and 2023 World Cups held in Odisha, India. Lastly, Krishan was part of the squad that won Gold at the Hero Asian Champions Trophy Chennai 2023 and the 19th Asian Games Hangzhou 2022.

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