Hockey: Manpreet Singh enters elite club, becomes second Indian with 400 international caps – ‘Beyond anything I imagined'
It was a special moment for Manpreet Singh on Sunday in Antwerp as he entered an elite club in international hockey, becoming the second Indian to represent India 400 times, behind only former Captain and current Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey (412 caps). As per available stats, Manpreet is the eighth player in men's international hockey to achieve the feat.
From his debut in 2011 as a spirited 19-year-old to becoming the heartbeat of the Indian midfield, Manpreet's career mirrors Indian hockey's resurgence. Manpreet was the captain when India ended a four-decade wait for a podium finish at the Olympic Games, leading the team to a bronze medal in Tokyo.
Having made his Olympic debut in London 12 years ago, when India finished 12th out of 12 teams, Manpreet has now been part of back-to-back medal winning sides.
'The mindset. That's the biggest change,' Manpreet told The Indian Express in an interview after Paris 2024. 'Earlier, we thought, 'oh, we are playing Australia!' We went to the Olympics just to participate. That has changed. I think the pandemic was a very bad period for most but for us, the team, it was a good period, to be honest. During that period, we spent a lot of time at the camp and understood the value of hard work, and began respecting each other as teammates. Also, before Tokyo, we had defeated almost every team in the Pro League. So the momentum was there and confidence.'
Speaking before his 400th match on Sunday, Manpreet told Hockey India, 'I still remember the goosebumps I felt in my debut game. To be standing here, 400 games later, is beyond anything I imagined. This milestone is shared with every coach who pushed me, every teammate who backed me, and every fan who believed in me when I needed it most. I'm still learning, still growing — and I play with the same hunger today as I did at 19.'
Hockey India President and the only Indian player ahead of Manpreet in the all-time caps list, Dr. Dilip Tirkey, lauded the achievement and stated, 'Very few athletes achieve this level of consistency and endurance. Manpreet has been the spine of Indian hockey through its most transformative decade. His fitness, leadership, and composure under pressure set him apart. We are proud to see him carry forward the legacy with such grace.'
Manpreet was conferred the Arjuna Award in 2018 and India's highest sporting honour Major Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna Award in 2021. He was also the FIH Men's Player of the Year in 2019.
– 2 Olympic Bronze medals (2020 – as captain, 2024)
– 2 Asian Games Gold medals (2014, 2023)
– 2 Commonwealth Games Silver medals (2014, 2022)
– 4 Asian Champions Trophy titles (2013, 2018, 2023, 2024)
– Podium finishes at the 2014-15 and 2016-17 FIH World League and Hockey Champions Trophy in 2018
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