Jalandhar, Oct 27 (PTI) Defender Jarmanpreet Singh is in no mood to retire just yet despite being among four senior players that Hockey India plans to phase out after the Asian Champions Trophy, with the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics firmly in his sights.
Earlier this month, Hockey India sources had informed PTI that Jarmanpreet, Mandeep Singh, Amit Rohidas and Nilakanta Sharma, who were all a part of the Paris Olympics and Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games medal-winning sides, are set to feature in their final assignment for India in the Asian Champions Trophy, which gets underway here on Tuesday.
The move is understood to be a part of Hockey India’s smooth transition strategy with an eye on the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, for which India qualified by winning the gold medal at the recent Asian Games.
“I want to continue playing and perform well at the Los Angeles Olympics. I want to do my best for the team,” the 30-year-old defender from Amritsar told PTI.
“Qualifying for the Olympics by winning the gold medal at the Asian Games is a big achievement for our team. It is a great opportunity for us, and we are well prepared for the Los Angeles Olympics.
“After this tournament, we will begin our preparations for LA. I want the team to perform well there and win the gold medal,” he added.
India captain Harmanpreet Singh too rubbished the retirement speculation, terming it a “rumour”.
“I don’t think it is a right news and we didn’t discuss anything on these lines within the team. I think these are rumours,” Harmanpreet had said during the pre-tournament captain’s press conference on Monday.
Jarmanpreet, who has 171 caps to his credit, was a key member of India’s Paris Olympics bronze medal-winning team and also has two Asian Games gold medals to his name, in 2022 and 2026.
The Arjuna Award recipient feels he has made significant improvements as a defender.
“I have tried to improve my defensive skills, create good opportunities and contribute to the team’s performance. I will continue to work on my responsibilities as a defender and try to improve further,” Jarmanpreet said.
Five-time champions India, the highest ranked side in the Asian Champions Trophy, are the favourites to lift the title here, but Jarmanpreet said they can’t afford to be complacent.
“We have recently won the gold medal at the Asian Games, and we want to perform well here too. But we cannot take any team lightly, although India is a powerhouse in hockey.”
“We are playing at full strength and are the number one team in Asia, but we will not underestimate any opponent. We will approach the tournament one match at a time. Every team comes here to give its best, and we will also strive to perform well as a team,” he said.
It is a special moment for Punjab as the Asian Champions Trophy marks the return of international hockey to the state after 17 long years. The last international tournament held in Punjab was the Gold Cup in 2009.
Punjab is considered a nerve centre of Indian hockey, having produced a number of legends over several decades, and even now more than half of the squad hails from the state.
“This is a great opportunity for Punjab and its players to play on their home ground, especially at a place where many of us started playing hockey. I thank Hockey India and the Punjab government for giving us this opportunity. I think our team is well prepared for this tournament,” Jarmanpreet said. PTI SSC SSC APA
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