Bhubaneswar: Hockey India congratulated Manpreet Singh on completing 350 International Caps when India took on Spain in their first match of the FIH Hockey Pro League 2023/24 at the Kalinga Hockey Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Saturday.
Manpreet Singh hails from Punjab - a state known for producing top-quality hockey players for the country. Manpreet, a midfielder recognized for his agility, made his debut for the Indian Men's Hockey Team in 2011 at the age of 19. He was a part of the Indian squad that won the 2011 Men's Asian Champions Trophy held in Ordos, China as well as the squad that won the Silver medal in the 2013 Men's Hockey Asia Cup in Malaysia.
Manpreet also won the Gold medal with the Indian team at the 2014 Asian Games in South Korea.
Manpreet won the Silver medal with the Indian Team at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Bronze medal in the 2014-15 Men's FIH Hockey World League. This was followed by Silver medals in the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati and the 2016 Men's Hockey Champions Trophy in London.
He then went on to win the Gold medal with the Indian Team in the 2017 Men's Hockey Asia Cup in Dhaka, Bangladesh before helping India finish in third place at the 2016-17 Men's FIH Hockey World League.
The year 2018 saw the now 31-year-old win the Silver medal with the Indian Team at the Men's Hockey Champions Trophy in Breda, Netherlands, the Bronze medal at the Asian Games in Jakarta and the Gold at the Men's Asian Champions Trophy in Muscat, Oman.
Manpreet won his first Olympic medal in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, Japan as the Indian Team finished in third place and won another Bronze medal at the 2021 Men's Asian Champions Trophy in Dhaka.
The Indian Men's Hockey Team won the Silver medal at the 2022 Commonwealth Games held in Birmingham, England with Manpreet playing a crucial role. He won the Gold medal with the Indian team at the 2023 Asian Champions Trophy held in Chennai before winning yet another Gold medal at the Asian Games in Hangzhou later that year.
When asked about the colossal achievement, Manpreet said, "I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity of representing my country in 350 matches. It's great to be playing a match of such significance at home in front of our fellow countrymen.
I would like to thank my family, friends and support staff for their unwavering support throughout this journey. I am truly blessed to have had such great backing and I hope to continue to do justice to their efforts."
Congratulating Manpreet on achieving this milestone, Hockey India President Dilip Tirkey said, "350 international matches is no mean feat. It takes a lot of grit and determination to be able to continuously deliver for the country for over a decade.
Manpreet is an invaluable player to the Indian team and we congratulate him on reaching great heights in this game. We wish him continued success as he continues to inspire many people across all walks of life." (ANI)
