A year since the Indian hockey teams regained space in the national consciousness with exceptional performances at the Tokyo Olympics, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games have served as a reminder that sports aren’t a mathematical equation with a single definite solution. But, an unsure science with every permutation and process throwing up new results.
In terms of final standings, both the men’s and women’s hockey teams went one better on their Olympic finishes – the women winning bronze for their first CWG medal in 16 years and the men returning with a third silver from the competition in four editions. The results were as expected, the performances not so much.
In this article, we rate the players who starred for India in the sport at the recently concluded 2022 Commonwealth Games –
#5 Salima Tete
Salima Tete scored three goals in the tournament
In India’s recent bronze medal match against New Zealand, Salima Tete took the ball from midfield, dodged four defenders, got into the circle and fired a bullet-like shot into the opponent’s net to give India a lead. The best part was that she did this all alone and with absolute precision and control.
With her skill, speed and game sense, she will be a vital cog for India in the midfield. She might not be a regular goal-scorer, but the confidence that coach Schoppman has in her speaks volumes about her improvement.
Tete hails from Jharkhand’s Simdega which is known for producing numerous hockey talents and is a hotbed for women’s hockey in India. She has risen up the ranks from being the captain of the Junior Indian Women’s Team to being a midfield mainstay in the senior one.
At just 20, she has already played 65 matches for the Senior Indian Team. Tete with her fast feet and tricky dribbles was a headache for the opposition in the 2022 CWG and ultimately scored three goals in the competition. She is a future leader and one to be definitely relied upon.
#4 Manpreet Singh
The captain of the Indian men’s team, Manpreet Singh has played a very big role in the resurgence of India as a force to reckon with in the world of hockey. Having made his debut as a 19-year-old in 2011, Manpreet is certainly the glue which holds this Indian team together in crunch moments.
Manpreet’s uniqueness, though, lies in the fact that he can’t be bracketed into any one type of player. He is a sum total of all those tiny steps taken in the last decade. His speed was one of the reasons he got called ‘Korean’ at the start of his career, a nickname that has stuck since.
Manpreet is strong on the ball, making him a valuable centre-half, given most of the moves pass through this position. His quick thinking makes him the point person for transitions from defence-to-attack, and vice versa.
He possesses a high level of game intelligence, which enables him to communicate effectively on-field and coordinate the movements of his teammates. He scores an occasional goal, acts as a stopper in attacking penalty corners and can perform the duty of a first-rusher in defensive PCs.
Although he didn’t score a single goal, his rock solidness in the heart of India’s defence coupled with his ability to stitch new moves made him certain to be included in this list.
#3 Gurjit Kaur
Gurjit Kaur is the only specialist drag-flicker in the women’s team
The only ‘specialist’ women’s drag-flicker in India, Gurjit Kaur had already proved her prowess at the Olympics and now did it in the Birmingham Games as well. The equation is clear: If Gurjit scores, India wins, and if she fails, her team suffers. India recently thrashed Ghana in their Games opener, where Gurjit starred with a brace.
Throughout the competition, apart from scoring goals, Gurjit also teamed up with experienced campaigner and vice-captain, Deep Grace Ekka, in the backline to provide the much-needed balance to the Indian team.
The FIH Women’s 2020-21 Player of the Year, Gurjit repeated her Olympic performance in the 2022 CWG Games to finish the competition with three goals to help the Indian team shine on a global stage and finish on the podium.
#2 Harmanpreet Singh
Harmanpreet Singh scored nine goals in the recently concluded CWG
Finally, we come down to the man who will be strengthening the team’s defence as well as looking to score for the Indians. He’s the vice-captain of the Indian team and was the highest goalscorer for India in FIH Pro League. And the defender just took his game to another level in England in the Games.
Harmanpreet Singh has undoubtedly been one of the biggest stars of India’s campaign at the 2022 Birmingham Games. Having debuted at the international level in 2014, this 26-year-old has developed into a vital cog in the wheel for the Indian hockey team. Harmanpreet with his drag flicks had contributed a total of nine goals for India at the Birmingham Games, thus ending the tournament with second-most goals.
Another product of the illustrious Surjit Hockey Academy, Harmanpreet Singh has been irreplaceable in the squad. Riding on good form with a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, Singh, the drag-flicker was one of the stars of the tournament in Birmingham. Revered for his skills, Harmanpreet will raise caution for the opposition’s goalkeepers everywhere he plays in the near future.
#1 Savita Punia
The captain, who led from the front, displayed her abilities as a skipper in the recently completed 2022 Commonwealth Games. Known for her heroics at the Olympics she did the same in the Games as well wherein the goalkeeper stepped up in crunch situations where the defenders failed.
She was brilliant against both Australia and New Zealand to take the game to the penalty shootouts and had in fact given India an advantage against the Aussies before the clock howler demotivated the Indians leading to a 3-0 loss for the Indians in the semi-finals.
In the final, Savita was at her usual best and did really well to help India secure their first CWG medal in 16 years. Being one of the most senior members of the team, she did well to guide India’s young guns on the path to glory and ensured India finish on the podium in the 2022 CWG.