It’s going to be a big year for Harmanpreet Singh, the captain of India’s hockey team, as he prepares to lead the charge in the upcoming FIH World Cup this year, beginning on August 15, co-hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands. Harmanpreet has emerged as the bona fide star of the team, but his personal form too suffered, owing to nagging injuries, and his recovery and rhythm will be crucial for the Indian team. Earlier this year, India finished eighth in the nine-team tournament at FIH Pro League 2026, a result that builds up more tension than hope. Harmanpreet, however, is confident of the team picking up the momentum when it’s really needed, and more importantly, turning things around on a personal level too, after he has been criticised for missing multiple opportunities from the penalty corner for India this season. Here’s an excerpt from our interview:
Question: You were at the SAI training camp with the Indian team. What was the focal point for you in the training?
Harmanpreet Singh: In the training, we covered all the areas which we felt needed improvement, whether it was technique or tactical, our finishing, and as a team, how well we can defend. So I think we covered a lot of things.
Q: Defence has been a big issue for the Indian hockey team in the last few months. What is the major reason for that?
Harmanpreet: There's no major reason as such. New players are coming in, a few new ones. But our players have a time limit of 60 minutes, and position-wise, how much time they've played, how much opportunity they've got — so it was a combination of things. But I think the confusion has reduced a lot now. All the new players who've come in understand our style of playing, our structure, and it's been effective.
Q: And that's why the team's performance dipped a little, because they didn't get time to settle?
Harmanpreet : No, it's not like that. I don't know about the new players specifically, but overall, I think it was on the senior players too. If there was a mistake at that time, we kept repeatedly making it. Normally we don't do that, but I think it was a good learning point, a learning phase for us. The things we've learnt from there, we're working on. So overall, I think it was everyone's mistake, but it was time to correct it. In the two-three games we played, we learnt a lot.
Q: What is the team environment like? As captain, along with Craig Fulton as coach, how do you make sure the team's morale stays high, everyone feels motivated, and there's no toxicity or negativity in the group?
Harmanpreet: It's very simple. Uf you make mistakes during the game and overthink it, it will definitely lead to something negative. So we try to talk about it as a topic, try to find a solution, and look at everyone's point of view. Everyone has their own opinion, so we don't take it negatively. I know we've lost a lot of matches, but that was our standard. We always talk about that in team meetings, and we try to keep everyone together. We have a circle of trust that we try to keep strong. Whoever has an opinion, we put it in front of everyone and everyone engages with it. When there's a discussion, everything is open. So we don't take it negatively.
Q: After the loss to Argentina, Craig Fulton said that Harmanpreet wasn't being himself. He was referring to your injury at the time, which you hadn't fully recovered from, but you still chose to play for the team. In hindsight, do you think you should have rested and healed completely before coming back?
Harmanpreet: You're on national duty and I think that matters. But sometimes you have to play, sometimes you can rest. So it was a decision I made at the time, along with the coaching staff, that I'd play those four matches. For the next match, I didn't go; that was for personal reasons. But right now, I'm fully fit, so I'm ready to go. I think we've learnt from that this has happened for the first time in many ways. We've performed, we've played, we've won, we've scored. But because major tournaments are coming up, the whole year is important for us, so we have to manage the workload. In every match, my normal playing time is around 50 to 60 minutes so if we're leading by a good score, where can I take rest, how can I manage that? Every player has a load, and every player has their own level of toughness. So in the last two camps, and now in this camp too, I've worked on those things good nutrition, talking to the team about fitness, strength sessions, hockey sessions. We've applied all of that. Overall, all the players have worked on this, and everyone's in good shape. We're ready for the next match.
Q: During your captaincy, the fitness standard of the Indian hockey team has increased a lot. How did you establish that culture across the entire team?
Harmanpreet: I think everyone has realised it. From day one, our priority has been to make sure everyone is fit, because sometimes we have to play back-to-back matches, and that's very important. Fitness-wise, I think overall everyone's performance is good, all the players are fit. As I said, in our last two camps and even before that, since the start we've done our Yo-Yo test. Out of 16 players, 8-9 have completed it. So fitness is very important; everyone knows that, which is why all the players take it seriously
Q: What is your typical training day like?
Harmanpreet Singh: Very hard work, training mostly in the heat, in the afternoon. From 9:30 to 12:30 or 1 o'clock, then in the evening a lighter session. Very good training overall.
Q: What about your own fitness routine?
Harmanpreet: My last camp was very hard, the one before that too everyone pushed me a lot. We had Sundays as rest days, but through the rest of the week, training was going on constantly. We do conditioning, a long run, an hour of running, half an hour of running, half an hour of cycling, an hour of cycling, gym work, and recovery. It's been very good. We're in good shape now.
Q: Is there any exercise you do every day that people outside hockey might not know about, something that's helped you a lot?
Harmanpreet: I keep my focus on making sure my core is strong, and on the power exercises after I finish on the track. I try to add those to my daily routine, along with stretching and mobility work/
Q: As a Punjabi, you'd have grown up with traditional home food, but as an elite sportsperson you also have dietary demands to follow. How do you balance the two?
Harmanpreet: At this stage, you can't afford to get distracted. Even when I go home, my family knows very well that I eat very little. There's a strict routine, no cheat meals, everything else is cut off. As I said, since we brought in proper nutrition support, we've focused a lot on food specifically. If you go home and have one or two extra chapatis, you know you have a schedule to follow. Even if you eat a bit more, you make up for it by extra training, and everything gets balanced out. As Punjabis, when we go home, there are a lot of food options in front of us, but responsibility and discipline are the priorities.
Q: This year you have big tournaments coming up, although the start of the year hasn't gone well. What's your mental state right now — are you feeling the pressure, with the World Cup and the Pro League coming up?
Harmanpreet : Pressure is a good thing. Before the World Cup, we're getting good matches, playing good teams and that's a good sign. It tells us how we need to play, what our planning will be, what changes we need to make. I think it's the right time — we have a good opportunity. We'll play Pro League matches, we'll get to know our strengths and what we need to use. We're excited.
Q: Do you do anything for mental preparation that helps you stay calm?
Harmanpreet: Of course before big tournaments, we usually have Paddy [the team psychologist], who helps us a lot, the whole team, with how to handle pressure. We have a lot of drills that we try to repeat during camp, both individually and as a team. To relax, we do team activities too like cricket and volleyball that relax us as a group. When I'm in my room, I like listening to music.
Q: P.R. Sreejesh's retirement left a big hole in the Indian team. Do you think the team is still struggling to fill that gap?
Harmanpreet: I think we're doing well. Looking at the South Africa tour, the Hockey India League, the Pro League I think we're watching the goalkeepers closely, and they've given us a lot of confidence. It's a good opportunity for them, they're playing Pro League matches before the World Cup, and they'll play more good teams before that. We have full confidence in them, we'll do well. The whole team is behind them. It's our responsibility too — how we defend as a unit is very important. But yes, they'll definitely give us confidence.
Q: Drag-flicking is your main trait. It needs a unique combination of strength and technique, and that specific motion puts a lot of overload on your back and hips. As your age increases, how are you training for that?
Harmanpreet: As I said, it's a tough job and the back stress especially can be difficult sometimes. I've built a routine around the flicking itself, then the recovery part: stretching, mobility, food, and sleep time, which is very important. If you're doing the hard work but not doing the recovery, you'll definitely struggle. But if you're doing the hard work, doing the recovery, and taking care of your nutrition and your sleep. I think those things are managed, and age doesn't really count against you. These are just routines I do regularly.
