BENGALURU: "Paaji, next time humein flag right se centre mein leke aana hai," was Hardik Singh's emotional appeal to his then skipper Manpreet Singh as the Indian flag went up in Tokyo during the medal ceremony in 2021. He meant they had to convert the bronze medal to gold in Paris. Manpreet has gone from skipper to a senior statesman as India will take the field under the leadership of Harmanpreet Singh.
But Hardik's words still echo in the midfield stalwart's ears. That, along with his soon-to-be three-year-old daughter Jasmine Kaur, fuelled the 32-year-old's desire to give the Olympics one last shot.
