Harmanpreet set for big test

Harmanpreet Singh has been dribbling away since his childhood. While back then it was with an imaginary ball using his father’s farming tools in the fields of Jandiala Guru township, a village on the outskirts of Amritsar, now it’s with his prized possession — the hockey stick.

“Bachpan se hi aadat hai, ball ke saat khelne ki (It’s been a habit since childhood to play with the ball),” says a shy Harmanpreet. Though, back then, his antics brought him trouble for spoiling the crops, these very skills now make him one of the most sought after youngsters in the country. Known for his defensive stability and ferocious drag-flicks, Harmanpreet has been the toast of Indian junior team’s progress in the past few years. And he is now set to make a mark for himslef at the senior stage after being called up to the Indian side for the upcoming Sultan Azlan Shah Cup.

Having caught the eye of the selectors with a string of commendable performances at the 2014 Junior Nationals in Chennai, it didn’t take much time for the Punjab boy to make his way into the junior national squad. Picked for the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2014, Harmanpreet ensured that he made the most of the opportunity to make a mark for himself.

The 20-year-old was the fulcrum of his side, as he led the charge with his piercing drag-flicks and rock-solid defence. Harmanpreet netted nine goals to guide India to the title, bagging the player of the tournament in the process. This, however, was just a glimpse he had to offer.

The following year saw Harmanpreet once again display his magic on the field as the Indian Junior team won the Junior Asia Cup in a dominant manner. “I am very satisfied (with my career so far),” he said.

“The Sultan of Johor Cup was my first international tournament, and I am happy that I could give my best. Moreover, I continued my good run last season too. Asia Cup was a great moment for the whole team. Though I finished as the top scorer, I think the whole team played really well and we deserved the title,” he added acknowledgeing the important role of his team-mates.

Like many other from his hometown, Harmanpreet too was attracted to the game at a very early age. “I was in sixth standard when I attended my first hockey selection for an academy in Ludhiana. I spent a few months there before moving my base to Jalandhar (to the Surjit Singh Hockey Academy),” he recalls.

Having grown up seeing the likes of Dhanraj Pillay and Gagan Ajit Singh run riot, Harmanpreet started with the dream of being a striker. But his coach at the Surjit Singh Academy, Avatar Singh, saw something special and soon asked his ward to switch to the other end of the field. Though he initially hesitated, Harmanpreet had no choice but to budge.

“He was initially shocked,” said Avatar. “But then, if one believes in his coach and adopts to the changes the coach suggests, you grow as a player. And in Harmapreet’s case, you can see what he brings to table.”

While Harmanpreet’s presence in the defence cannot be disregarded, it’s his penalty conversion ratio that has drawn him to the limelight. And if you ask the man himself the reason behind this tremendous success, hard work is the reason he harps on.

“Every player at the camp has two sessions, but for us — the drag flickers — we have a third where we hit as many flicks as we can. I also work with heavier sticks and heavier balls, to get enough power behind every hit,” he explains.

Harmanpreet’s short corners are a mix of sheer power and shrewd placement. He also does a lot of trickery with his wrist to deceive the goalkeeper but it’s the vision of the target that he banks on.

“There are certain things I look to improve. Be it the power (of the stroke) or be it the direction. I try to visualise the target and decide that the ball needs to be there, irrespective of the bounce, speed or whatever,” continues Harmanpreet who looks up to the Indian international Rupinder Pal Singh and Britain’s ever-reliable Ashley Jackson.

With his long cherished dream of playing for the senior national team looking set to be fulfilled, one can only hope and wish that the upcoming prospect makes the most of this opportunity too as fulfill his yet another dream — winning a Olympic medal for his motherland.