New Delhi: India men’s hockey team captain Manpreet Singh said Tuesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pep talk after their semifinal loss against Belgium worked wonders. The talks instilled a positive energy in the players. It eventually translated into a podium finish after 41 years in the Olympics.
Just after the 2-5 loss to World Champions and eventual Olympic gold medallist Belgium, Modi called Manpreet Singh and chief coach Graham Reid. The PM consoled them while also motivating the entire team for the job ahead. And Manpreet said those words of encouragement did wonders.
“When we lost the semifinal we all were very disappointed. Then the coach came and said PM wants to talk to you guys. When the PM spoke, he said ‘all of you played well and don’t be disappointed. Just focus on your game and the next match and the entire country is proud of you all’,” Manpreet said Tuesday in an open media session.
“It gave us a positive energy and then we had a players’ meeting. We said we have got one more chance and if we return empty-handed we will have that regret all our life. So we have to play well. We said to ourselves that we have 60 minutes in our hands. If we give our best in these 60 minutes we can return home with smiles on our faces and with the bronze medal,” the Indian skipper added.
It helped as India finished with the bronze medal in hockey at the Tokyo Olympics. It was India’s first medal in hockey after a hiatus of 41 years.
“The feeling has been great. It was my third Olympics and this time as captain. My first Olympics in 2012 was a disaster because we didn’t win any match. But then we improved and won medals in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. In 2016, we played well but couldn’t clear quarterfinals,” Manpreet pointed out.
The skipper said the Covid-19 pandemic has been a blessing in disguise for the Indian hockey teams. They spent the entire lockdown together at the national camp at the SAI centre in Bangalore. According to Manpreet, it helped in creating a strong bonding among the players.
“This time the mindset was different because we did a lot of hard work. The time we spend together in Bangalore, spend the entire quarantine period inside the campus, we were away from everybody. So going into the Olympics our thought was that we sacrificed a lot. So we definitely can win a medal if we give our best,” he said.
“It was a young team this time and so the mindset was pretty strong. As seniors, we shared our experiences with the young players. Our mindset was that we should not underestimate any team because it is Olympics. All the teams look to give their best in such a platform. We gave our best in every match and we progressed match by match which produced a good result for us,” Manpreet added.
Manpreet said during their time in quarantine in Bangalore, all the players read a lot about past hockey Olympians of India. They read about the journeys of Indian hockey legends, which acted as a motivation for them.
“We were little disappointed when the Olympics got postponed but then we thought of utilising this postponement to our advantage. So we worked on how we can improve,” Manpreet informed.
Manpreet said the bronze medal was much-needed for a nation like India which has a rich history of hockey. “It is a big thing for hockey because after 41 years we won a medal. The last medal came before I was born. This medal will work as a big motivation for the future generation,” asserted Manpreet.
The Indian captain was asked what going through the minds of the players after the 1-7 drubbing against Australia. “When we lost 1-7, everyone said in the dressing room that 1-7 was a big margin. But when we analysed the data we learnt that we also played well in that match,” he informed.
“I just told everyone that we should have the confidence that we can beat any team and we did that in the past. Everyone said that we made a lot of sacrifices and we should not let go the chance from our hands,” Manpreet signed off.