The Indian hockey team’s journey to the 2016 Asian Champions Trophy title has been marked by a number of highs and lows.
After failing to qualify for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, India stood last in the 2012 London games.
But then they rebounded with a silver medal finish at the 2014 Commonwealth games. And the gold in the 2014 Asian Games ensured India became the first hockey team to qualify for the 2016 Rio Games.
Even then the hockey team’s management was falling apart. Coach after coach was changed until the high performance director Roelant Oltmans was also made head coach of the Indian hockey team.
The hockey team’s satisfactory fifth place finish in the Rio games and first place finish in the ACT has once again brought India to the top of their game. Here are five players who have been an integral part of India’s upward surge.
1. PR Sreejesh
Parattu Raveendran Sreejesh, now one of the top goalkeepers in the world, became a known prospect for the Indian national team with his exemplary performances at the Junior level.
Sreejesh who made his junior team debut in 2004 and senior team debut in 2006, made an early mark as a goalkeeper after he won the ‘Goalkeeper of the Tournament’ award at the international stage in the 2008 Junior Asia Cup.
With his consistent performances at both the junior and senior levels, Sreejesh was conferred with the Arjuna award in 2015. One of the most experienced players in the Indian squad, he has been a part of teams at the 2014 Asian Games, 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games, 2012 and 2016 Olympics to name a few.
Currently recovering from an injury, Sreejesh still managed to save that crucial last goal against Korea in the 2016 ACT which helped India reach the final that they eventually won. An ideal leader on and off the field, captain and goal keeper PR Sreejesh is a top player in the Indian side.
2. Sardar Singh
Sardar Singh has been a marquee player for the Indian national squad for over a decade. The 29-year-old made his foray into the world of hockey around the same time as Sreejesh.
He debuted in international hockey for the junior India team in 2003-04 tour of Poland. He was picked to represent the senior squad in 2006 at the age of 20. In 2008-09, he became the youngest player to captain the men’s senior team at the prestigious Sultan Azlan Shah Tournament.
A Padma Shri awardee, Singh led the team to some historic victories. However in the 2016 Rio Games squad, Sardar was replaced by Sreejesh owing to a decision by the management that was quite evidently not based on the controversies in his personal life.
Sardar’s experience reflects in his skilful game. The impeccable chances that he creates for the strikers proved that although not the captain, Sardar has been a very important player for the Indian side.
3. Rupinder Pal Singh
Scoring a massive total of six goals out of ten in India’s first 2016 ACT match against Japan, Rupinder Pal Singh continued riding his wave of success in the rest of the tournament as well.
The first break-through of Singh’s career was his hat-trick against Great Britain and the top-scorer award at the 2011 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, just a year after he made his debut in the same tournament. And the penalty corner specialist hardly ever failed his team since then.
A consistently outstanding performer, Rupinder was the highest goal-scorer in the 2016 ACT and was also India’s top scorer in Rio. Often seen leading the team, Rupinder is definitely another top influencer in the Indian side.
4. Akashdeep Singh
A young yet important part of the team, Akashdeep Singh was a last minute addition to the Indian squad that went to Malaysia in place of Manpreet Singh who failed to recover from a groin injury.
But yet again, the dynamic midfielder did not disappoint. Besides providing great support to the Indian strikers, Akashdeep scored two goals against China.
His noteworthy performances in the Hockey World League, Asian Games and Sultan Azlan Shah Cup helped him find a place in the Rio Olympics squad at just 22. And with two goals in the prestigious tournament, the Indian player was anything but a disappointment. Less than three years after his India team debut, Akashdeep sped past the hockey biggies to become the highest Indian bid in the 2016 Hockey India League auction.
In a dressing room which has the likes of Sadar Singh and Sreejesh, Akashdeep may not stand out. However, in the future when these stars may not be there anymore, he will rise as one of the most important.
5. VR Raghunath
As one of the most seasoned players of the Indian Hockey Team, VR Ragunath has been a sturdy wall in defence. Just like teammate Rupinder Pal Singh, the 28-year-old is regarded as of one of the best drag flickers in the country.
He made his debut in the senior men’s squad in 2005 during the bilateral series against Pakistan. And since then has been part of the squads that won medals in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, Asian Games and 2016 FIH Champions Trophy.
Ragunath scored two goals for the Indian side in the Rio Games but was rested in the last Asian Champions Trophy.
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)