The entire nation is yet to come out of the euphoria of Indian men’s hockey team’s bronze medal winning performance at the Paris Olympics.
But former captain and legendary full-back Pargat Singh is already looking ahead. While he is pleased with India’s back-to-back bronze medals at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, he believes it is time to move forward and groom fresh talent to replace the senior players in the coming years.
We have to build on this achievement. Ultimately, we have to move ahead from the bronze, and for that, replacement players are required. We need fresh blood.
The former India skipper stressed the importance of a long-term development strategy to ensure a steady pipeline of talent.
We have to work on a long-term plan. In the production unit, work should happen continuously across the country. If there is a gap in this system, performance automatically drops. Players will retire, and good replacements must be found. A strong domestic structure is essential.
Singh specifically pointed out the urgent need to find successors for veteran goalkeeper PR Sreejesh and current India captain Harmanpreet Singh. “Harmanpreet and Sreejesh made the difference in the Olympics. Replacements are needed,” he stated.
His main concern, however, is the diminishing pool of exceptional talent in the country. “What we had earlier is now less. I feel all state units need to work harder together,” he said. When asked if he was encouraged by how young players blended with the seniors at the Olympics, he remained cautious.
The talent is not as much as we need. It has declined over time, not just in Punjab but across the country. Odisha has done a lot of work, but the effort required at the production level is still lacking.
Finally, when asked which medal — Tokyo or Paris — was more satisfying, the former defensive stalwart said, “We wanted to improve from Tokyo, as progress is key, but both were satisfying in their own way.”
