Harmanpreet Singh

Harmanpreet Singh (born 6 January 1996) is an Indian field hockey player and captain of the national hockey team. He plays as a defender, is a penalty corner specialist, and is regarded as one of the best drag flickers in the world. He has scored the most number of international goals for India in modern day hockey. He led the team to clinch the bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics. This was his second bronze in three appearances at the Olympics. Singh also captained the team to win a gold at the 2022 Asian Games. He has won the Player of the Year title at the FIH Awards thrice. He is popularly known as Sarpanch Saab by fans for his ability to lead the team towards victory. He also won FIH Junior Hockey World Cup once.

Early life Singh was born to a Sikh family on 6 January 1996 in Timmowal, Amritsar, India. He had an interest in all sports and tried several of them including volleyball, football, cricket, and athletics. Singh started playing hockey at the age of 10 and joined the Surjit Singh Hockey Academy when he was 15 years old, hoping to become a forward.

Personal life Singh is married to Amandeep Kaur and they have a daughter Ruhanat Kaur. He is the richest Indian hockey player. As per GQ India, Singh's estimated net worth is $5 million (approximately ₹42 crore).

Junior career Singh made his debut for India Junior Team against New Zealand. He scored 9 goals at the 2014 Sultan of Johor Cup. His team won the tournament by defeating Great Britain 2–1 in the final. For his outstanding performances he was awarded Man of the Tournament Award. He scored 4 goals at 2015 Sultan of Johor Cup. Unfortunately his team lost in the final to Great Britain in penalties 3-4 after a 2–2 draw. He was the member of the team which won 2015 Men's Hockey Junior Asia Cup. He was the highest goalscorer of the tournament, he scored 14 goals. After his debut appearance at the Olympics, he was selected for 2016 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup. Singh scored a crucial 66th-minute goal against Spain which helped his team win the match 2-1 and reach the semi-finals. His team won the tournament by defeating Belgium in the final 2–1. He scored 3 goals in the tournament.

Senior career Senior team debut (2015) Singh received his maiden call-up for senior team in April 2015 when he was selected for the 3-match series against Japan. But he was dropped from the team for the next tournament which was the 2014–15 Men's World League Semifinals.

Highs and lows (2016) Singh returned to the team for 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. He scored his 1st ever goal for national team against the Japanese team which helped the team win the match 2–1. He then scored one goal in the match against Canada which was won by his team 3–1. He scored 2 goals in the tournament. The national team faced a crushing defeat to Australia in the final 4–0.

Singh was retained in the squad for 2016 Champions Trophy. In the 1st match against Germany, he scored a goal in the 32nd minute but the match ended in a 3–3 draw and in the next match against Great Britain he scored a goal in the 34th minute which helped his team win the match 2–1. The final against Australia ended in a 0–0 draw. In the penalty shootout only Singh managed to score. His team lost the final in 3–1 on penalties. Singh scored 2 goals in the tournament and won the Young Player of the Tournament award.

He was named in the Indian squad for 2016 Olympics. Singh had a disappointing outing at the Rio Olympics 2016. He failed to score a single goal. His coach claimed he had unperformed and had not done justice to the outstanding talent and prowess that he possessed as a player. The team lost to Belgium in the quarter-finals 1–3. Out of six games, India managed to win only two which was a disappointing conclusion to their Olympic campaign. Singh was dropped from the team for 2016 Asian Champions Trophy and 4 Nations invitational tournament after the disastrous Olympics campaign.

Return to the team (2017) After his improved performances at the 2016 Junior World Cup, Singh returned to the national team for 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. He scored 2 goals (27th minute and 47th minute) in the match against New Zealand which the team won comfortably 3–0. He was the lone scorer (26th minute) in the match against Australia which the team lost 1–3. Singh managed to score 3 goals in the tournament and the team finished 3rd.

Singh was named in squad for 2016–17 World League Semifinals. He was then selected for the 2017 Asia Cup. He scored 2 goals in the 35th minute and 48th minute in the 1st match against Japan. India easily won the match 5–1. He again scored 2 goals in the next match against Bangladesh in the 28th and 47th minute. The team won the match 7–0. He then scored a goal in the 45th minute of match against arch-rivals Pakistan which was also won by the team 3–1. His team topped the pool and qualified for the Super 4s stage. He scored a goal in the 19th minute in a thrashing win over of 6–1 over Malaysia. He then scored a goal in the 51 minute in the match against Pakistan which was won by the team 4–0 to enter the finals. The national team won the tournament by defeating Malaysia 2–1 in the final to win their 3rd title. Singh was the joint high scorer with Malaysian Faizal Saari with 7 goals.

Tokyo Olympics victory (2020) Singh had a stellar performance in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He scored twice against New Zealand in a 3-2 win. He scored against Argentina in a 3-1 victory. He also scored a goal against Japan in the 5-3 win as well as against Belgium in the semifinals, but India lost 5-2. In the bronze medal match, Singh scored a goal against Germany, securing a 5-4 win for India. His consistency throughout the tournament was instrumental in guiding India to the Olympic medal after 41 years.

Rise to excellence (2021–2022) In the 2021–22 Pro League match against England, Singh scored his 100th goal. He went to score a hat-trick in the same match helping his team to win the match 4–3. He then scored two goals against Germany which helped his team win the match 3–0. In modern AstroTurf hockey he has scored most international goals for India.

Singh had a stellar performance at the 2022 Commonwealth Games, helping India secure a silver medal. He was the second-highest goal scorer in the competition, netting nine goals throughout the tournament. His outstanding achievements have led to him becoming the fourth player to win the FIH Player of the Year award consecutively, joining an elite group comprising Teun De Nooijer, Jamie Dwyer, and Arthur van Doren.

Singh led the Indian field hockey team to a gold medal win at the 2022 Asian Games by defeating the defending champions Japan 5–1 in the final. As winners India qualified directly for the 2024 Summer Olympics. He was the top scorer for India, netting 13 goals at the Asian Games, and showcased his expertise as a penalty corner specialist.

Start of captaincy (2022–2023) Singh was appointed captain ahead of the 2022–23 season of the Pro League. He was retained as the captain for the 2023 World Cup. India were knocked out on penalties by New Zealand in the crossover stage, ahead of the quarter-finals, and finished joint ninth after a win over South Africa. However, Singh had a particularly successful year and went on to score 42 goals from 33 matches. On 10 February 2024, he scored twice in the opening match against Spain in the 2023–24 edition of the Pro League. The first was a penalty corner conversion while the second came off a penalty stroke. He scored a match-saving equaliser from another penalty corner conversion in India's next match against the Netherlands, his 200th appearance for the nation. The match ended in a 2–2 draw. He also scored two goals against Australia, leading India to their first victory against them in 52 years. As the captain, he demonstrated exceptional leadership throughout the campaign, leading the team to a record-extending 13th medal in hockey at the Olympics. Singh's consistent performance was key to the success.

Due to his excellent performance, he earned the moniker of Sarpanch Sahab by sports commentator Sunil Taneja and the media followed through. After winning the bronze medal Prime Minister Narendra Modi called the team and congratulated them.

Singh continued his incredible performance at the 2024 Asian Champions Trophy. He was the top scorer for the Indian team with a total of 7 goals, and played a crucial role in India's fifth title. He was instrumental in India's 2-1 win over Pakistan, netting twice and showcasing calm leadership to navigate the team. His impressive form continued with a brace in the semifinal against South Korea and a decisive assist for Jugraj Singh's goal in the final, ultimately earning him the Player of the Tournament award.

Pro League (2024–2025) TBA

Franchise career Singh was bought by Dabang Mumbai for $51000 in the 2015 Hockey India League, he scored 5 goals in his first edition. He went on to win the Ponty Chadha award for the most promising player of the tournament in 2015. Daband Mumbai retained him for the 2016 edition. He scored 2 goals in the whole season but his good defensive skills helped in making the case to retain him. He scored 6 goals in the 2017 edition. He also won the Upcoming Player of the Tournament award.

In 2024, during the 2024–25 Hockey India League auctions, Soorma Hockey Club bought him for ₹78 lakhs making him the most expensive player of the season. He was announced as the captain of the team.

International goals No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 6 April 2016 Ipoh, Malaysia 1–1 2–1 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 2. 10 April 2016 2–1 3–1 3. 10 June 2016 London, United Kingdom 3–1 3–3 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy 4. 11 June 2016 2–0 2–1 5. 30 April 2017 Ipoh, Malaysia 2–0 3–0 2017 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup 6. 3–0 7. 2 May 2017 1–0 1–3 8. 15 June 2017 London, England 4–1 4–1 2016–17 Men's FIH Hockey World League Semifinals 9. 18 June 2017 1–0 7–1 10. 4–0 11. 24 June 2017 5–0 6–1 12. 25 June 2017 1–1 2–3 13. 2–1 14. 11 October 2017 Dhaka, Bangladesh 4–1 5–1 2017 Men's Hockey Asia Cup 15. 5–1 16. 13 October 2017 5–0 7–0 17. 7–0 18. 15 October 2017 3–0 3–1 19. 19 October 2017 2–0 6–2 20. 21 October 2017 2–0 4–0 21. 6 December 2017 Bhubaneswar, India 3–2 3–3 (3–2 p) 2016–17 Men's FIH Hockey World League Final 22. 10 December 2017 2–1 2–1 23. 7 April 2018 Gold Coast, Australia 2–0 2–2 2018 Commonwealth Games 24. 8 April 2018 3–2 4–3 25. 10 April 2018 1–0 2–1 26. 2–1 27. 13 April 2018 1–2 2–3 28. 2–3 29. 24 June 2018 Breda, Netherlands 1–0 2–1 2018 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy 30. 27 June 2018 2–3 2–3 31. 28 June 2018 1–0 1–1 32. 20 August 2018 Jakarta, Indonesia 9–0 17–0 2018 Asian Games 33. 22 August 2018 12–0 26–0 34. 21–0 35. 22–0 36. 25–0 37. 28 August 2018 2–0 20–0 38. 6–0 39. 9–0 40. 30 August 2018 1–0 2–2 (6–7 p) 41. 1 September 2018 2–0 2–1 42. 18 October 2018 Muscat, Oman 2–0 11–0 2018 Men's Asian Champions Trophy 43. 21 October 2018 3–0 9–0 44. 4–0 45. 24 October 2018 1–0 4–1 46. 3–1 47. 4–1 48. 2 December 2018 Bhubaneswar, India 1–1 2–2 2018 Men's Hockey World Cup 49. 4 December 2018 1–0 5–1 50. 6 June 2019 Bhubaneswar, India 4–0 10–0 2018–19 Men's FIH Series Finals 51. 9–0 52. 7 June 2019 3–1 3–1 53. 14 June 2019 1–1 7–2 54. 15 June 2019 2–0 5–1 55. 3–0 56. 22 February 2020 Bhubaneswar, India 2–1 2–2 (3–1 p) 2020–21 Men's FIH Pro League 57. 10 April 2020 Buenos Aires, Argentina 1–0 2–2 (3–2 p) 58. 2–2 59. 11 April 2020 1–0 3–0 60. 24 July 2021 Tokyo, Japan 2–1 3–2 2020 Summer Olympics 61. 3–1 62. 29 July 2021 3–1 3–1 63. 30 July 2021 1–0 5–3 64. 3 August 2021 1–1 2–5 65. 5 August 2021 3–3 5–4 66. 14 December 2021 Dhaka, Bangladesh 2–0 2–2 2021 Men's Asian Champions Trophy 67. 15 December 2021 9–0 9–0 68. 17 December 2021 1–0 3–1 69. 3–1 70. 19 December 2021 1–0 6–0 71. 5–0 72. 21 December 2021 2–5 3–5 73. 22 December 2021 1–0 4–3 74. 8 February 2022 Potchefstroom, South Africa 1–0 5–0 2021–22 Men's FIH Pro League 75. 9 February 2022 1–0 10–2 76. 12 February 2022 2–3 2–5 77. 13 February 2022 4–1 10–2 78. 7–1 79. 9–2 80. 10–2 81. 26 February 2022 Bhubaneswar, India 1–1 5–4 82. 5–4 83. 27 February 2022 2–3 3–4 84. 2 April 2022 3–2 3–3 (3–2 p) 85. 3 April 2022 2–1 4–3 86. 3–1 87. 4–2 88. 14 April 2022 1–0 3–0 89. 2–0 90. 11 June 2022 Antwerp, Belgium 2–3 3–3 (5–4 p) 91. 18 June 2022 Rotterdam, Netherlands 2–2 2–2 (1–4 p) 92. 31 July 2022 Birmingham, England 2–0 11–0 2022 Commonwealth Games 93. 6–0 94. 11–0 95. 1 August 2022 4–1 4–4 96. 3 August 2022 1–0 8–0 97. 6–0 98. 4 August 2022 1–0 4–1 99. 2–0 100. 3–0 101. 28 October 2022 Bhubaneswar, India 2–3 4–3 2022–23 Men's FIH Pro League 102. 30 October 2022 1–1 2–3 103. 4 November 2022 1–1 7–4 104. 3–3 105. 6 November 2022 1–0 2–2 (3–1 p) 106. 2–0 123. 19 January 2023 4–2 4–2 2023 Men's FIH Hockey World Cup 124. 26 January 2023 Rourkela, India 5–0 8–0 125. 7–0 126. 28 January 2023 2–0 5–2 127. 10 March 2023 1–0 3–2 2022–23 Men's IFH Pro League 128. 12 March 2023 1–1 5–4 129. 2–1 130. 5–3 131. 13 March 2023 4–2 6–3 132. 27 May 2023 London, Great Britain 1–1 4–3 133. 2–3 134. 2 June 2023 2–0 5–1 135. 3–0 136. 7 June 2023 Eindhoven, Netherlands 1–0 4–1 137. 8 June 2023 2–0 3–0 138. 25 July 2023 Terrassa, Spain 1–2 1–2 Torneio del Centenario 2023 139. 26 July 2023 1–0 1–1 140. 28 July 2023 1–1 1–1 141. 30 July 2023 1–0 2–1 142. 3 August 2023 Chennai, India 1–0 7–2 2023 Men's Asian Champions Trophy 143. 2–0 144. 4 August 2023 1–1 1–1 145. 6 August 2023 3–0 5–0 146. 7 August 2023 2–1 3–2 147. 9 August 2023 1–0 4–0 148. 2–0 149. 11 August 2023 2–0 5–0 150. 12 August 2023 2–3 4–3 151. 26 September 2023 Hangzhou, China 5–0 16–1 2022 Asian Games 152. 9–0 153. 10–0 154. 11–0 155. 30 September 2023 2–0 10–2 156. 3–0 157. 5–0 158. 6–0 159. 2 October 2023 1–0 12–0 160. 2–0 161. 7–0 162. 6 October 2023 2–0 5–1 163. 5–1 164. 26 January 2024 Cape Town, South Africa 1–0 3–0 Test Match 165. 10 February 2024 Bhubaneswar, India 1–0 4–1 2023–24 Men's FIH Pro League 166. 2–0 167. 11 February 2024 2–2 2–2 (4–2 p) 168. 15 February 2024 1–0 4–6 169. 3–2 170. 24 February 2024 Rourkela, India 1–0 2–2 (0–3 p) 171. 7 April 2024 Perth, Australia 2–1 2–4 Test Match 172. 12 April 2024 1–0 1–3 173. 13 April 2024 1–0 2–3 174. 26 May 2024 Antwerp, Belgium 3–2 5–4 2023–24 Men's FIH Pro League 175. 4–2 176. 5–2 177. 1 June 2024 London, England 1–0 3–0 178. 8 June 2024 1–2 2–3 179. 9 June 2024 2–1 2–3 180. 27 July 2024 Paris, France 3–2 3–2 2024 Summer Olympics 181. 29 July 2024 1–1 1–1 182. 30 July 2024 1–0 2–0 183. 2–0 184. 2 August 2024 2–0 3–2 185. 3–1 186. 4 August 2024 1–0 1–1 (4–2 p) 187. 6 August 2024 1–0 2–3 188. 8 August 2024 1–1 2–1 189. 2–1

Awards and nominations