Mumbai, Dec 13:Manpreet Singh couldn’t stop smiling while reflecting how much life has changed for him since that historic August morning, when he led the Indian hockey team to its first Olympic medal in 41 years.
He now has a school named after him in his hometown Mithapur. He is the recipient of the country’s highest sporting honour, the KhelRatna.
Last month, his wife gave birth to their daughter.
“It’s tough to express in words how much everything has changed,” Manpreetsays.
His teammate, drag-flicker Harmanpreet Singh got married weeks after returning from Tokyo, where he’d scored a goal in India’s dramatic win over Germany in the bronze-medal match.
Manpreet teased his deputy for being holed up at a university campus in Bhubaneswar for the national camp, days after getting hitched.
The smiles, the laughter and the banter captured the mood of the team that is still basking in the afterglow of Olympic success.
Even as they continue to enjoy the honeymoon period, the rebuilding phase for the Paris Olympics cycle has begun.
It will reflect on Tuesday when India play their first match since the Games. They will take the field against South Korea in Dhaka in their opening match of the Asian Champions Trophy, which got delayed by several months due to the pandemic.
The team will wear a vastly different look compared to the one that won the medal in Tokyo four months ago.
Almost half of the players from the squad – including inspirational goalkeeper PR Sreejesh – which finished on the podium in Tokyo, have been rested as head coach Graham Reid looks to rebuild the side, as well as add to its depth, ahead of a busy 2022, the 2023 World Cup and, ultimately, the Paris Olympics.
Apart from Sreejesh, forwards Simranjeet Singh – who scored two goals in the bronze-medal match – Gurjant Singh and Mandeep Singh, midfielder Nilakanta Sharma and defenders AmitRohidas and Surender Kumar have not been included in the squad that has travelled to Dhaka.
Centre-half VivekSagar Prasad has been rested after he led the U-21 team at the recent Junior World Cup while two members from the Tokyo team, defenders Rupinderpal Singh and BirendraLakra, have announced their retirements.
