Manpreet Singh

Manpreet Singh (born 26 June 1992) is an Indian field hockey player and a four time Olympian. He led the Indian field hockey team to the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

He became the first Indian hockey player to win the FIH Best Player of the year award at the 2019 FIH Awards.

He first played for India in 2011 at the age of 19. He represented India at the 2012 London Olympics and was named Asia's Junior Player of the Year in 2014.

He became India’s Most-Capped Hockey Player by surpassing Dilip Tirkey (412 caps) on 17 June 2026.

Early and personal life Singh was born in a farming Sikh family in Mithapur village on outskirts of Jalandhar in Punjab, India. Singh married Malaysian-Pakistani Illi Najwa Saddique on 16 December 2020 in Punjab. He first met her when the team featured in the Sultan of Johor Cup in 2013 where the Indian team won the gold medal. Illi previously worked in Johor at the University of Southampton Malaysia Campus, but subsequently moved to India after their marriage.

Before the game he focuses and relaxes by meditating with yoga, playing PlayStation and by listening to the Punjabi Bhangra music specially by Diljit Dosanjh and Honey Singh. He carries his PlayStation with him whenever he travels for matches. He is a fan of Salman Khan and enjoys watching movies of sports genre, such as M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, Chak De! India, and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and he would love to try acting in movies if offered a role.

Junior Hockey In 2013 he became captain of India junior men's hockey team in the 2013 Men's Hockey Junior World Cup. Indian team also won the final gold medal under his captainship in the 2013 Sultan of Johor Cup after defeating Malaysia 3–0 in final where Manpreet also scored a goal. In 2014, he was titled Junior Player of the Year by the Asian Hockey Federation.

Senior Hockey 2012–2016: Olympic, Commonwealth and Asian Games wins In the 2012 Summer Olympics, he represented India.

In the 2014 Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in Scotland, India won silver medal after losing to Australia in final by 4–0.

In the 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy at London, India won silver medal after losing to Australia in the final by 1–3, where India had made finals after 38 years.

In the 2016 Summer Olympics, he was named in the Indian squad, where India lost 1–3 to Belgium in the quarterfinals.

Father's death during 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup Few hours before the 6 April 2016 Japan vs India opening match 2016 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, which India won 1–2, he received the news of his father's sudden death, He missed the next Australia vs India match on 7 April 2016 as he went back to India to perform death rituals for his father, Australian players observed a minute's silence while wearing black arm band to show support for Manpreet and India lost in his absence by 5–1. His mother told him to go back and play to fulfill his father's wish of giving his best to play for the pride of nation.

Captain of India 2017 Onward On 18 May 2017, he was promoted to captain India's hockey team for the three Nations Invitational Tournament in Germany that started on 1 June and the World League Semi Final in England that started on 15 June. He was awarded 2019 Men's FIH Player of the Year Awards. In Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he went there as the captain of Indian National Men's Hockey Team. Also, he was the flagbearer during the opening ceremony of the olympics, along with Mary Kom. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he captained India towards victory by bringing bronze medal for country. India defeated Germany by 5–4.

Tokyo Olympics 2020 In the Tokyo Olympics held in 2021, Manpreet Singh led the Indian men's team to a bronze medal. After losing 1–7 to Australia in the second match of the group stage, India, under his leadership, staged a remarkable comeback to defeat Spain, Argentina (the then defending champion) and Japan in succession. They beat Great Britain 3–1 in the quarter-final but fell to then World no. 1 and eventual gold medallists Belgium 2–5 in the semi-finals. In the bronze-medal match, India defeated Germany 5–4 to win the bronze medal. It was the Indian hockey team's first podium finish at the Olympic Games since 1980.

Franchise career Team Gonasika In 2024, during the 2024–25 Hockey India League auctions, Team Gonasika bought him for ₹42 lakhs.

Awards 2021 – Khel Ratna Award, highest sporting honour of India.