NEW DELHI: Indian hockey midfielder Hardik Singh criticized the quality of his bronze medal he won from the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Hardik shared his concerns about the medal's condition on the Oversharing With The Jhumroo podcast. He humorously questioned its authenticity, saying, "The medal had iron from the Eiffel Tower, we were told. I hope it's true."
Hardik expressed disappointment that the medal's build did not meet expectations. However, he referred to the achievement as his “biggest” and commented, "They had one job of making a good quality medal, which is not the case."
On the podcast, Hardik, who had won Olympic bronze in Tokyo too, shared his initial reaction to the medal in Paris, jokingly stating, "I am used to the feeling."
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He also talked about his incomplete tattoo of the Olympic rings, which he hopes to finish after winning a gold medal. He expressed his desire: “My wish is, when I win the gold medal next time, I will complete it."
Hardik also mentioned the lack of recognition for athletes in India. He recounted an incident at the airport where fans ignored him and his teammates, including Harmanpreet Singh and Mandeep Singh, in favor of social media personality Dolly Chaiwala. "People were getting themselves clicked with him and did not recognize us," he said.
Hardik remains optimistic and aims for a gold medal at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. He hopes to turn his bronze into an even greater accomplishment.
