We don’t have the one thing that we so desperately want: India’s Mandeep Singh on the Hockey World Cup

When the Indian men’s hockey team takes the field on August 15 for its World Cup opener at the historic Wagener Stadium in the Netherlands, two experienced pros will be rewriting records, hoping to end more than half a century of disappointment for the country.

Alongside teammate Manpreet Singh, 31-year-old Mandeep Singh will join an elite list of Indians to play four World Cups, previously achieved by legends Dhanraj Pillay and P.R. Sreejesh. Mandeep will also become the youngest to do so. He admits pride in the achievement but is also constantly reminded of the missing piece in his medal cabinet.

“Of course, it feels great to play my fourth World Cup, a very proud moment. But it is also a reminder that there is nothing to show for the three I have already played. It’s just been participation so far… we don’t have the one thing that we so desperately want,” Mandeep told The Hindu ahead of the World Cup.

For someone who has a medal from every other major competition in the sport, at every level – junior and senior Asia Cups, Asian Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Champions Trophy and the Olympics – that empty space on his medal cabinet is a constant reminder of an unfinished job.

“My father said the same thing when I spoke to him – you are still one short. But if this is the last chance for us, we won’t waste it and try to bring back that medal. It is a huge motivation, playing the fourth World Cup. Dhanraj sir did it, now we are going to do it. The dream now is to lift that Cup,” he insisted.

As one of the seniormost players in the side with 288 international matches under his belt, Mandeep is aware of his role but insists on collective responsibility.

“I believe all 18 players in a team have to play; everyone is aware of their individual responsibility and team target. Everyone has to perform; a senior or junior is just a tag that doesn’t matter on the field.

“You are selected because you know how to play and how to handle pressure, regardless of whether you have played 10 matches or 100 for India. What we can do is share our experiences from all these years, including what we have learnt from our seniors and pass it all to the youngsters. It helped us form a bond with our seniors, and we try to do the same during training, which makes the connections better,” he explained.

That also explains his motivation to stay fit. “Most important is diet, then fitness to keep up with the youngsters. You need to take individual responsibility, go beyond the team plan and train on your own whenever possible. You have to do that to fight for your spot,” he said.

Mandeep knows it won’t be easy, but is confident it isn’t impossible either. A chance to write his name in the history books is motivation enough. “When we won an Olympic medal in Tokyo after 41 years and then again in Paris, we saw how it completely changed Indian hockey’s stature and again gained recognition.

“The wait for a World Cup medal has been longer, 51 years! So we are aware of its importance and what it would mean for the game and for the country. Which is why we are not even thinking of the Asian Games or anything else at the moment; full focus is on the World Cup,” he declared.