Hardik steers Punjab to senior national men’s hockey win

The Punjab team has won the 15th Hockey India Senior National Men’s Hockey Championship being held in Jhansi, Uttar Pradesh. The team defeated Madhya Pradesh 4-1 to lift the title. The team has marked its victory under the captaincy of Jalandhar’s Hardik Singh.

Rajinder Singh, coach of the team, expressed his happiness over the win saying, “The selection of Punjab team was held in two phases. We played five matches and four of our players were declared best player of the match.”

Hardik Singh is also the vice-captain of the Indian hockey team, and had started playing the game at the age of six.

Holding a hockey stick, he would accompany his grandfather Pritam Singh to the ground and practice with him. Pritam Singh encouraged Hardik to pursue hockey.

Hardik’s paternal uncle Gurmail Singh was part of the Indian hockey team that won the gold medal in the 1980 Moscow Olympics. When Hardik scored a goal against Germany in the Olympics, his paternal uncle Gurmail Singh had told The Tribune, “Memories came rushing back to my mind. I could visualise myself when I saw Hardik running to score the goal.”

Hardik’s mother said when he got the bronze medal in Olympics, they had got Olympic rings installed outside the house. “He wants to get the rings printed on his car as well. But

that will happen only when he wins the gold medal,” she added.

“I have been doing Ardas that he either wins a gold medal in Olympics or hockey World Cup,” the mother added. Hardik’s younger brother is also receiving coaching at Surjit Hockey Stadium in Jalandhar.

Sanjeev Kumar, manager of the team, said that Hockey India came into being in 2010. “Since then, Hockey Punjab Senior National Men’s team has won (2011) bronze medal, (2012) gold medal, (2013) silver medal, (2016)

silver medal, (2017) bronze medal, (2018) gold medal, (2019) silver medal, (2021) gold medal, (2023) gold medal and (2025) gold medal,” he told The Tribune.

Jalandhar