Top five all-time best drag-flickers in Indian hockey

Published at :August 6, 2024 at 4:01 PM

Modified at :September 7, 2024 at 10:37 PM

(Courtesy : Hockey India)

India have had key players whose drag-flicks have helped the team win championship medals.

Hockey is one of the most popular sports in India and talent has made Indian players become stars in the drag-flick. Introduced in the late 1980s, drag-flicking is a scoring technique in field hockey. It is used during penalty corners with the two vital elements, the scoop and flick, an aggressive method adopted by the drag-flickers.

Drag-flick involves running up and throwing the ball forcibly around your body in the direction of the goalpost. Drag-flicks are incredibly powerful and can launch a ball at high speeds. For this reason, the drag-flick is extremely dangerous, especially for defenders as they are prone to mishaps. But, it is a spectacle to watch when executed to perfection.

India has tasted success at the top level in hockey. While the forwards produced field goals that came in a heap in the initial years, the defenders started contributing with drag-flicks during penalty corners. On that note, let’s look at the top five drag-flickers India has produced.

5. Jugraj Singh

One of the finest left full-back players who have played for India is Jugraj Singh. The Punjabi defender had a short yet impressive run on the international circuit, helping India notch up notable wins, especially with his drag-flicks. Coming from a hockey family, Jugraj’s drag-flicks helped India win the Junior World Cup in 2001, the 2003 Asian Championships and the 2003 Indo-Pak Champions Trophy.

His exploits in the series against Pakistan, earned him the tag of “next Sohail Abbas” who is considered as the greatest drag-flicker and the Indian would surpass the record of the Pakistani, Abbas. But, an unfortunate car accident in 2003 halted his three-year career on the international circuit. He tried to make a comeback, but couldn’t re-discover his old flair. He took up coaching, developed many drag-flickers and became the penalty corners coach of India.

4. Rupinder Pal Singh

Jugraj first took up the role of penalty corners coach with the junior national team. He singled out one player who could be India’s “next big thing” in the game. His prediction proved to be true, as he picked the ace drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh. Standing at six-foot four inches, his towering presence was a threat to the opposition defenders who were running towards the ball to thwart the goal.

3. VR Raghunath

VR Rahunath was one of the top Indian hockey players in the early 2000s. Making his debut for the Indian team at the age of just 17, Raghunath quickly went up the ranks thanks to his extraordinary drag-flicking skills. He brought the exuberance of youth to the Indian setup.

His contribution was huge at the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup when India won a silver. But, a dip in form meant that he was dropped from the squad and missed the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010. He gained a lot of weight, but the resilience in him pushed him to make a comeback to be part of the next Commonwealth Games when India won a silver. He announced his retirement at a young age of 28, but scored 132 goals in his 11-year career.

2. Harmanpreet Singh

While VR Raghunath retired at the age of 28, here is another 28-year-old who is currently captaining the Indian hockey team at the Paris Olympics 2024. Harmanpreet Singh came into the limelight after being awarded the Player of the Series at the 2014 Sultan of Johor Cup in the Indian U-21 team. He made his senior team debut the next year and has been one of the pivotal players in the Indian team.

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His biggest contribution came during the FIH Pro League where he top-scored in the 2021-22 season, with 18 drag-flick goals, which helped India finish third. The performance helped the defender win the Men’s Player of the Year award in 2021. The Punjabi boy added an Olympic bronze in 2021 at Tokyo, Commonwealth Games silver in 2022 and an Asian Games Gold in 2023. With 188 goals, he is the leading goalscorer among active players.

1. Sandeep Singh

By now one must be familiar with drag-flickers from Punjab. But, the story of Sandeep Singh is unique and that’s the reason his story was made into a film titled “Soorma.” Playing with his elder brother In his childhood days, his friends were fascinated by the speed of his drag-flicks. It was the same speed that got him a place in the national team at the age of 17 in 2004.

But, an accidental gunshot in a train while he was about to join the Indian team for the 2006 World Cup left him paralyzed in a wheelchair for almost two years. However, he staged a miraculous comeback to the Indian team and became the top scorer at the 2008 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup with nine goals in seven matches.

The pace and precision of his drag-flicks made everyone watch him in action with awe, including his opponents.

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