Manpreet Singh shines through in the afterglow

Manpreet Singh, who single-handedly took the attack to the Germans in the 1-1 draw on Saturday, has played in all outfield positions. (Source: AP)

Not many players would happily describe themselves as aloo. Manpreet Singh, however, doesn’t hesitate. It has nothing to do with his size or shape – he is among the fittest in the team. But it’s the utility factor.

In the last three years with the national team, Manpreet has played in all outfield positions – as a full-back, on the wings, as a centre-half as well as forward. And when the situation demanded, he stepped up to assume the duty of a drag-flicker as well. “Kahin bhi fit ho jaate hai. Bilkul aloo jaise,” he says.

It’s this unique ability of his that makes him every coach’s dream. In a team that takes prides in individual flair, Manpreet’s effectivity stands out, as was evident on Saturday when he virtually single-handedly took the attack to the Germans in the second Pool B match of the Hockey World League finals. His aggressive demeanor threw the Olympic champions off their game. He bailed out the defence, controlled the midfield and linked-up well with the forwards, even setting up India’s goal.

It was a performance that justified his growing stature in the team. From being one of the junior-most players a couple of years ago, Manpreet has become a mainstay around whom the entire machinery functions. “He is a player who shows the desire of the team. He shows energy from the first minute to last, making him a valuable asset to the team,” coach Roelant Oltmans says.

It’s easy to be lost in an Indian team that fetishes over Sardar Singh’s eloquent passing, SV Sunil’s blinding pace on the wings and PR Sreejesh’s Spidermanish feats in the goal. But Manpreet has has created his own niche within the team.

Intelligent, versatile
Manpreet grew up in a neighborhood where hockey was the first sport, even though his elder brothers tried to stop him fearing he would hurt himself. But their attempts proved futile. Every time they locked him at their Jalandhar house, Manpreet would find a way to sneak out and jump from the adjoining terrace to embark on a 30-minute journey to the stadium. His craft was honed at the famous Surjit Singh academy, where he was in the same batch as his current teammates Akashdeep Singh and Ramandeep Singh.

The trio was promoted to the junior national team together but in terms of their role and seniority in the team, Manpreet has outshone his batchmates. By the time he was awarded Asia’s best young player in 2014, he already had more than 100 senior appearances to his name. It wasn’t surprising for many who oversaw his progress as a junior.

“He showed maturity beyond his age. Even with the junior group, he always stayed back for extra half hour after training to fine tune his skills. The kind of passion and hunger to learn new things he showed made him a standout player,” says Harendra Singh, Manpreet’s coach at Ranchi Rays in the Hockey India League (HIL).

Manpreet has used HIL as a platform to pick brains of his idol and Germany captain Moritz Fuerste. He has modelled his game, including playing in multiple positions, on the Player of the Year awardee. Off the ball and with it, Manpreet is equally skillful. His ability to read the game and the opposition’s mind is considered second to none in the team, while his controlled passes reach the target more often than not.

Harendra recalls an instance where the 23-year-old negated Australia captain Mark Knowles’ impact during a game by consistently anticipating his moves and intercepting it. “True to his style, Mark was playing long balls from the other end of the field. Initially, our players found difficult to block his precise passes. But Manpreet was quick to read Mark’s moves and positioned himself such that the Australian had little impact on the game since,” Harendra, who recently guided the junior national team to Asia Cup triumph, says.

Most importantly, though, Manpreet’s presence on the field allows Sardar to play up field and do what he does the best – set up balls for his teammates. Manpreet’s ability to shore up the defence gives Sardar to venture up front, something which the captain is most comfortable doing. In his absence, Sardar is forced to fall back and play in front of the defence, leaving a gaping hole in the midfield and eventually drying out India’s creative output in the final third. “I generally prefer playing centre-midfield or right-midfield. I want to be resourceful for the team. That’s my role,” Manpreet says.

Manpreet is seen as a natural leader, something he is aware of. Always up for a prank, he gels seamlessly into the side that is often accused of being divided in factions. “Because I talk a lot off the field, coach (Oltmans) encourages me to talk to all players as well. It is something that comes naturally to me. Hence, I am not concerned about being played in the midfield or defence. If you look across sports, players who score goals aren’t the captains,” he says. “Leaders have to work for the team. And that is something I enjoy doing.”

Britain crush Australia
Building on a convincing win over Canada in their first match, Britain produced an even more dominating performance after they beat Australia 5-2 to move to the top of Pool A on Sunday. A total of 16 goals were scored on the day, which also saw Belgium thrash Canada 7-2.

Results (Pool A)
Belgium 7 (Sebastien Dockier 9, Florent van Aubel 12, 58, Thomas Briels 13, Jerome Truyrers 14, Arthur van Doren 50, Tom Boon 54) bt Canada 2 (Mark Pearson 29, Devohn Noronha Teixeira 44)

Britain 5 (Henry Weir 9, Chris Grassick 13, Ian Sloan 23, David Condon 32, Phil Roper 49) bt Australia 2 (Jeremy Hayward 17, Matt Ghodes 47)