Manpreet Singh, the captain of the victorious Indian men’s hockey team, said on Tuesday that the Prime Minister Narendra ModiThe vigorous conversation after the semi-final loss against Belgium worked wonders and infused positive energy among the players, which eventually resulted in a podium finish after 41 years at the Olympics.
After a 2-5 loss to world champions and eventual Olympic gold medalist Belgium, Modi called Manpreet and head coach Graham Reid to console them and motivate the entire team for further work.
And Manpreet said that those words of encouragement worked wonders.
“We were all very disappointed when we lost the semi-final, then the coach came and said PM wants to talk to you guys and when he spoke, he said, ‘You all played well and don’t get discouraged, just your Focus on the game and the next match and the entire nation is proud of you all.
“It gave us positive energy and then we had a players meeting. We said we have got one more chance and if we return empty handed, we will regret it for the rest of our lives,” Manpreet told reporters in an open media session after returning from Tokyo.
“We told ourselves that we have 60 minutes in our hands and if we give our best in these 60 minutes we can go home with a smile on our face.”
The Indian men’s hockey team created history at the recently concluded Tokyo Games by winning a bronze medal after a gap of 41 years.
The last of India’s eight Olympic gold medals came at the 1980 Moscow Games.
“The feeling has been great. This was my third Olympics and this time as captain. My first Olympics in 2012 was a disaster because we didn’t win any matches. But then we improved and won medals in Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. 2016 In India, we played well but could not make it to the quarter-finals,” Manpreet said.
The captain said that the COVID-19 pandemic has been a boon for the Indian hockey teams as they spent the entire lockdown together at the national camp at the SAI center in Bengaluru, which according to him helped create a stronger bond between the players. .
“This time the mindset was different as we worked very hard. When we spent together in Bengaluru, spent the entire quarantine period inside the campus, we were away from everyone. So after going to the Olympics, our thought was that we sacrificed a lot and if we do our best, we can definitely win a medal.
“It was a young team this time and so the mindset was quite strong. As seniors, we shared our experiences with the young players. Our mindset was that we should not underestimate any team because it is Olympics and all the teams try to give their best on that platform.
“We gave our best in every match and we went match by match which gave a good result for us.”
Manpreet said that all the players read a lot about the country’s past hockey Olympians and their journey during their quarantine in Bengaluru, which acted as an inspiration for them.
“The pandemic was a curse for all, but it was good for us because during the lockdown, we read about all the Olympians in the country and their journey, how they prepared themselves, the problems they faced. This helped create a stronger bond within the group.
“We were a little disappointed when the Olympics got postponed but then we thought of using this postponement to our advantage, how can we better ourselves.”
Manpreet said that bronze medal is very important for a country like India, which has a rich history of hockey.
“It is a big thing for hockey because after 41 years we won a medal. The last medal came before I was born and this medal will serve as a great inspiration for the generations to come.
Asked what was going through the players’ mind after they lost 1-7 in the second pool match against Australia, Manpreet said: “When we lost 1-7, everyone said in the dressing room that 1 -7 was a big difference. But when we analyzed the data, we found that we played well in that match as well.
He said, ‘I just told everyone that we should believe that we can beat any team and we have done that before. Everyone said that we have made a lot of sacrifices and we should not let the opportunity pass from our hands.
read all Breaking Newshandjob breaking news And coronavirus news Here
.