Rourkela: The second the umpire blew his whistle, pointing each his index fingers in direction of the aim, the ten,000-strong crowd erupted in pleasure on the Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium. The passion was for one sole motive – Soorma Hockey Membership had been awarded a penalty nook (PC), that means Harmanpreet Singh can be taking the drag-flick.
India captain Harmanpreet Singh in motion in the course of the Pool B match towards Argentina on the 2024 Paris Olympics. (PTI)
The group turned louder as Harmanpreet Singh, who turns 29 on Monday, laid his sharp eyes on the pusher’s stick, bending his again on the high of the D. In got here the ball, swish went the flick and a number of ‘oohs!’ as he missed the prospect.
The three-time FIH Participant of the 12 months is clearly the largest identify in Indian hockey as we speak, which was lacking a star-like determine. With Harmanpreet rising because the pre-eminent face of Indian hockey, that place is now not vacant with hundreds staying again after the match to get a glimpse of the two-time Olympic bronze medallist.
On a cold Thursday night, Harmanpreet was operating a temperature, had cough and chilly however nonetheless turned out for the Hockey India League (HIL) contest towards UP Rudras after popping a few drugs.
It’s the similar devotion to the game that made him the sixth hockey participant to be chosen for India’s highest sports activities honour, Main Dhyan Chand Khel Ratna award, after Dhanraj Pillay, Sardar Singh, Rani Rampal, Manpreet Singh and PR Sreejesh.
“He hasn’t changed a bit since he started out. He was a calm defender and he’s still the same, someone who puts team before himself. For him, it’s never me, it’s always we. Even today, whatever he wins, he dedicates it to the team,” says Harendra Singh, who coached Harmanpreet in Indian junior and senior groups.
“But the best thing about him is his hunger and eagerness to learn. I have seen many who after success think they have become bigger than sport. He is still humble. For him failure is the beginning of learning.”
It really is. After the excessive of the Tokyo 2021 bronze, the India skipper’s under-par present led to their early ouster from the 2023 World Cup – maybe the bottom level of his profession.
However since then, the drag-flicker has upped his sport, spending hours in coaching to attain constantly, serving to India win a number of matches. All of the arduous yards and further hours within the fitness center yielded the Jandiala Guru boy (a small city exterior Amritsar) a number of laurels within the latest previous together with three FIH Participant of the 12 months awards, the title of the costliest participant ( ₹78 lakh) at HIL auctions and now the Khel Ratna.
However the icing on the cake was the bronze in Paris the place Harmanpreet additionally turned the primary Indian in 60 years to be the top-scorer on the Olympics with 10 objectives after Prithipal Singh at Tokyo 1964.
“He has carved his niche. Most drag-flickers have a cross leg during a PC. He has a double step. The first step is small, close to the ball after which he drags his left foot long and keeps his head down,” says Harendra, now the Indian ladies’s hockey workforce coach.
“Then in the same swing, he can hit it up or down or around the first rusher which is a big problem for the goalkeeper. That is his third mark. In my analysis as a coach, it is very difficult to read his drag-flick. Only if a first-rusher throws his body on the line can he save the PC. If the first rusher misses, then it is difficult to stop him.”
Harmanpreet is a clear flicker who makes use of his wrist to perfection, releasing the ball in entrance of the physique on the final second not like different glints who do it parallelly whereas some elevate their head. Retaining a low head makes it powerful for the goalkeeper or rushers to gauge the place the Indian defender will probably be aiming.
Harmanpreet retains it so low that his left hand nearly touches the turf and with a motion of the wrist he can ship it up or preserve it low. This comes from Harmanpreet’s preliminary coaching days the place Harendra would usually tie metallic plate or ball to the again of his stick throughout PC coaching for him to generate extra pressure.
“In drag-flick, everyone has their own style. Taking a PC is getting tougher day by day. Earlier, there would be only one rusher but now there are two. It’s all about practice. You analyse daily, going into the details of every rusher, where does he keep his step, where does he keep his hockey stick, the areas where you can beat him,” stated Harmanpreet.
“I analyse those things a lot; which goalkeeper is good, where he does his best, where he normally saves etc. Also, when I flick, I try to make sure I go below the knee so that event if it hits the foot, we will get another PC.”
Indian hockey followers can be hoping that the India skipper retains his head low and continues scoring by means of his bullets.