Jarmanpreet Singh: We have a good chance to go a long way in Tokyo

The 24-year-old came into the senior team set-up in 2018.

In the past four years since the 2016 Rio Olympics, the Indian men's hockey team has risen to great heights, winning medals at various tournaments and climbing up to fourth in the FIH World Rankings. One player who has been part of the team's two most impressive outings is Jarmanpreet Singh.

The defender wore a silver medal around his neck in his debut tournament as India finished second behind Australia at the FIH Men's Champions Trophy 2018 held in Breda, Netherlands.

He went on to win a gold medal with the team in his second tournament at the senior level as India were jointly crowned the Champions of the AHF Men's Asian Champions Trophy 2018 in Muscat, Oman. Speaking on his early days with the Indian team, Jarmanpreet Singh said, "I think playing for India in itself was a dream come true for me, but to have won back-to-back medals in my first two tournaments is a story I can tell my grandkids one day (laughs)."

"I have had the privilege of representing my country at the highest level, and have also won medals, so it gives me real joy. My aim always is to try to do my best for the team, and to make sure that I am following what my coaches are asking me to do - because I know if I am able to do those things, we will be really successful as a team."

Encapsulating his two years of being a senior team player, Jarmanpreet Singh expressed, "When I look back at the career I've had with the senior team, I feel really proud because there is so much competition in our team that it's not easy to get into the final 18 squad. However, to have played in four amazing tournaments including the Olympic Test Event in 2019, and the FIH Hockey Pro League in 2020, I feel really blessed and motivated to keep doing the right things. I understand that only the best can represent the team, and I want to earn that right to be in the team consistently by performing well."

Looking forward to next year's Olympic Games, he added, "I think everyone is really excited for what is to come for Indian hockey in the next few years. I want to make sure that I am part of the team when we go out there and win medals. I also think that we have a very good chance to go a long way at the Tokyo Olympics, but before that, just like the rest of the sporting world, I am also hopeful that the mega-event goes ahead as planned."

However, before looking too far ahead, the youngster is also mindful of the fact that he will need to maintain the consistency on the field.

"I was delighted with the way the FIH Hockey Pro League campaign was going for me before the pandemic struck. I felt I had decent outings against the World Champions, and I was really looking forward to the next few games, but now it is just about taking it day-by-day here at the national camp. I feel now our focus has had to shift to maintaining our rhythm and our fitness. But the best thing is that we have also managed to get together, brainstorm and build a clear path towards what we want to achieve in the next few years as a team," he signed off.