Hockey: Learned a Lot from Rupinder Pal Singh, Says Harmanpreet Singh
News 18Three years ago, on December 1, the Indian men’s hockey team took to the field at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar for their opening match of the World League Final 2017 against eventual winners Australia in a match which ended in a 1-1 draw. Having won the FIH Junior Men’s World Cup in 2016, the Odisha Men’s Hockey World League Final 2017 gave me the chance to experience the thrills of playing the highest form of hockey at the grandest of stages,” recalled Harmanpreet. The 24-year-old was India’s joint-highest scorer in the tournament, along with fellow drag-flicker Rupinder Pal Singh with two goals each, and believes playing with the veteran has helped him immensely in his career. There are moments in your career you always remember and recall very fondly, and it is definitely one of my best moments in the Indian shirt – and it meant more because it was my first major medal with the senior team.” “I believe having that home crowd at the Kalinga Stadium really gave us a boost, and it has always carried on – even at all the tournaments we’ve played there since then, it has to be my favourite stadium to play in.