SPORTS
Mandeep Singh wants to take Indian hockey to greater heights after gaining berth in national squad.
Till a few months ago, 17-year-old Mandeep Singh was a relatively unknown commodity even amongst the ardent hockey lovers in India.
But a stellar performance in the recent Hockey India League saw him earn a berth in the senior national squad for the Hockey World League 2. And, although he didn’t score in India’s opening encounter against Fiji, the Jalandhar lad is sure to be in the national side’s scheme of things for the future.
How quickly things change!
“The league (HIL) made a big difference in my life. I trained two weeks prior to the start, working on my mental game and physical skills,” Mandeep told DNA from Delhi.
The preparations reaped instant rewards. He ended the league as the second highest goal-scorer.More importantly, he caught the eye of Indian coach Michael Nobbs, who said it was a “remarkable achievement for a young player like him” to score 10 field goals.
“I’m extremely happy to be playing for India. My hard-work has paid off. My job was to score goals for the Rhinos, and I will continue to do that for India. That’s the only thing I know,” said Mandeep, a product of the Surjit Hockey Academy in Jalandhar.
Incidentally, Mandeep hails from the same village (Mithapur) as the legendary Pargat Singh. Is that the reason he took to hockey? “Not really. I was initially interested in cricket but my family pushed me to pursue hockey,” said Mandeep, who started playing the game at the age of six.
His family now feels a sense of pride in their decision. “We’re ecstatic as parents that our son had such a great tournament and is playing for the senior team. It’s a dream-come-true for us,” said Mandeep’s father, Ravinder Singh, from Mithapur.
Ask Mandeep his aspirations, now that he has made it to the senior team and a mature reply follows. “I want to take Indian hockey to greater heights,” said the ever-smiling Jalandhar boy, all of 17!
@RutvickMehta
Raima Sen mourns Bharat Dev Varma's demise, pens emotional note for 'great father, great husband'
DNA TV Show: Ahead of Maharashtra poll results, MVA, Mahayuti engage in resort politics
Maharashtra: Stage set for assembly poll results; Mahayuti, MVA confident of their victories
All set for vote counting in Jharkhand tomorrow; NDA, JMM-led alliances confident of winning
Watch: Australia star inquires Rishabh Pant about his next IPL team, gets 2-word reply
Shah Rukh Khan’s house Mannat was first offered to his industry rival…, but he refused because...
The Visionary Who Promises a Blue Sky for India: Holger Thorsten Schubart’s G20 Climate Speech
The Surge of High-End Living: Luxury Residential Market to Outpace Other Segments
FeFCon 2024 to be Held in Bangalore: A Premier Event on Fever Management
'That’s wild': Noida man turns cigarette butts into teddy bears in viral video, watch
London Airport evacuates passengers over security threat, thousands stranded
The World’s First Innovative Iron Supplement to Combat Iron Deficiency and Anaemia
Meet grandmother who became fashion icon after trying on her granddaughter’s clothes
IND vs AUS: Rishabh Pant joins Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma in elite WTC list, becomes 3rd Indian to...
'All scripted drama...': Puneet Superstar allegedly assaulted by influencers in viral video, watch
Actress Ana de Armas caught kissing Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel’s son in viral photos
Oreshnik's Shadow: Will Russia's hypersonic missile force west to back down?
‘You’re So Beautiful’: World’s tallest woman meets world’s shortest woman over tea, pics go viral
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Consequences of GRAP-4 are drastic, may have adverse effects, says SC
Delhi-NCR Air Pollution: Schools likely to stay closed till..., check city-wise update
Maharashtra: 3 killed, 9 hospitalised after gas leak at fertiliser plant in Sangli
THIS farm is selling a cup of coffee for Rs 28000, but there's a twist, it is...
Chhattisgarh: 10 Maoists killed after encounter with security personnel in Sukma
Mukesh Ambani's SUPERHIT plan for Jio users, offers unlimited 5G access for 1 year for just Rs...
IND vs AUS 1st Test: KL Rahul's dismissal sparks DRS controversy in Perth Test
Dense fog, heavy rain predicted in these states till November 25; check here
Oreshnik Hypersonic Missile: Which nations are within its range?
Bihar teacher, principal reach school in drunken state; know what happened next
'I have faced a lot of...': Arjun Kapoor REVEALS his biggest fear amid break up with Malaika Arora
How millions of Indians may get affected due to US indictment of Gautam Adani in bribery case
Amid divorce rumours with Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan says 'missing someone is okay but...'
After Bibles, watches and sneakers, Donald Trump is now selling autographed guitars, price is...
Delhi pollution: Air quality improves to ‘very poor’ category, AQI at...
Vladimir Putin's BIG threat, warns he could strike UK with new ballistic missile if...
Shillong Teer Results TODAY November 22, 2024 Live Updates: Check winning numbers here
Somebody misbehaved with Alia Bhatt on Highway sets then Imtiaz Ali had to...
Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal reveals twist behind Rs 200000 job fee, closes application window
Days after Ratan Tata's demise, Tata Group's Rs 131000 crore company inks pact with ADB for...